Japan protests Russian geological survey around islands off Hokkaido

Tokio, June 26 - Neftegaz.RU. Japan has protested to Russia against its geological survey in waters including around 4 Russian-controlled islands that Japan calls the Northern Territories, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said today.

The Russian survey is “unacceptable as it conflicts with our country’s position” on the islands, Suga told a news conference.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Russian authorities notified the Japan Coast Guard on June 17 of a plan to conduct the survey in the Sea of Okhotsk between June 18 and September 18. The Sea of Okhotsk is known to contain natural resources including oil and gas.

The ministry lodged a protest with Russia the same day as the notification, urging it to cancel the survey plan. Japan told the Russian Embassy last week that the survey is "unacceptable," the official said.

At the news conference, Suga stressed that the government is “always closely watching the Russian side’s developments related to the Northern Territories.”

To read the full story in Russian.