MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. Russia has expressed a strong protest to the Japanese embassy in Moscow over a Tokyo-based meeting of the "Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum," recognized as undesirable in Russia, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"On August 7, strong protest was expressed to the Japanese embassy to Russia in connection with the Japanese authorities providing an official platform to hold a Tokyo-based meeting of the so-called ‘Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum,’ whose activities are deemed undesirable in Russia, and whose members were entered on the register of terrorists," the ministry pointed out.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Japanese side was told that this step, "as well as Japanese parliamentarians joining the aforementioned gathering, who signed the final 'document' calling for the undermining of Russian statehood and violation of its territorial integrity, cannot be regarded as anything other than as an attempt to interfere in Russia's internal affairs."
The Russian ministry stated that the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, "without whose consent the 'forum' would hardly have been accepted in Japan," has demonstrated open support for "terrorist rhetoric and an ideology of hatred against Russia."
"In such a context, we are not surprised by Tokyo's attempt to link the anti-Russian hostile action that took place with its own illegitimate revanchist claims to the southern Kuril Islands," the Russian Foreign Ministry added.
"In case provocative acts are repeated despite our warnings, Tokyo should be prepared for response measures that would hit Japan’s interests where it hurts in its ties with Russia," the ministry said. ""Such practices, which may finally destroy what remains of normal relations dismantled by the Japanese government, should be stopped immediately, and Japanese apologists of terrorist ideas should be justly punished," the ministry summed up.