Russia adds Japan's Foreign Minister, 8 others to entry ban list
Russia has added nine Japanese nationals, including Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, to the list of its entry ban introduced following sanctions imposed by Japan.
According to a Russian Foreign Ministry announcement Monday, the nine also include Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Masashi Nakagome and former Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda.
The ministry said that the addition is a countermeasure against sanctions by the Japanese government. Tokyo imposed additional sanctions on Russia in January for its invasion of Ukraine.
The other individuals targeted include Shohei Hara, senior vice president of the government-backed Japan International Cooperation Agency, Hideki Matsunaga, head of the JICA's Ukrainian office, Hiroshi Ide, president of heavy machinery maker IHI Corp., and Shinsuke Minami, president of Isuzu Motors Ltd.
Russia is believed to have chosen these people in view of Japanese support for Ukraine provided from both the public and private sectors.
In 2022, when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Moscow announced a ban on the entry of then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and members of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament.
In July last year, Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda, Rakuten Group Inc. Chairman and President Hiroshi Mikitani and JICA President Akihiko Tanaka were added to the list of the entry ban.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Photo by Reuters
