Member of the upper house of the Japanese Parliament Muneo Suzuki, the first Japanese politician to visit Russia since February 2022, stated the importance of dialogue with Moscow. In this way, he responded to criticism of himself voiced in Tokyo, including in the Society for the Renewal of Japan, which he represents in parliament, TASS reports.
“There have been different comments in Japan regarding my visit to Moscow, but I am proud to be a politician who, more than anyone else, thinks about the importance of Japan-Russia relations from the point of view of national interests. I think it’s times like these that dialogue is important,” he wrote on his blog.
Suzuki said that he arrived in Moscow on the evening of October 1, and the next day he met with the Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission Sergei GlazyevDeputy Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Andrey Rudenkoas well as with the Deputy Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry and former Ambassador to Tokyo Mikhail Galuzin. On October 3, he is scheduled to meet with the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev. Suzuki promised to announce details of the trip upon his return to Japan.
Suzuki’s arrival in the Russian Federation caused a mixed reaction in Japan. Secretary General of the Japanese Cabinet Hirokazu Matsuno recalled the current government warning requiring Japanese citizens not to visit Russia regardless of the purpose of the trip, and noted that the government had not received notification from Suzuki of his intention to travel to Moscow.
His own party, the Japan Renewal Society, said it may take disciplinary action because he failed to notify the party leadership accordingly. Suzuki himself, in a commentary to local media, called this his secretary’s mistake. Secretary General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Toshimitsu Motegi and head of the Komeito party, part of the coalition with the LDP Natsuo Yamaguta called Suzuki’s trip to Russia undesirable.
On October 2, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that deputy head of the department Rudenko met with Suzuki and discussed with him the state of Russian-Japanese relations. The Russian side noted “the important contribution of the Japanese deputy to the development of bilateral ties.” At the same time, the Russian diplomatic department “regretfully stated that the accumulated baggage of interstate cooperation over decades is being purposefully destroyed today by the sanctions policy of official Tokyo to please the United States and the anti-Russian course of the collective West imposed by them,” which, as the ministry stated, “does not meet Japan’s national interests and aspirations.” Japanese people.”
Suzuki is known for his ties to Russia. While serving as Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe he often acted as an adviser on various issues related to relations with the Russian Federation. After the start of the special military operation of the Russian Federation, Suzuki repeatedly criticized the actions of Western countries and Ukraine. In an interview with TASS, he expressed the opinion that Japan is in too close coordination with the United States and NATO on policy towards Russia, cooperation with which is vital for Tokyo. At the same time, he admitted that this opinion is now unpopular in Japan, but noted that even in the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida there are people who understand him, but now they are in the minority.
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2023-10-03 14:15:00
