Russia canceled simplified entry for Japanese to the Kuril Islands. The agreement has been in effect since 1999

The Russian authorities terminated the agreement with Japan on simplified visits to the Southern Kuril Islands, which the Japanese consider an occupied territory.

“Radio Svoboda” (“Radio Liberty”) publication writes about it.

According to the specified agreement, Japanese citizens who in the past lived on the disputed islands or were members of the families of forcibly resettled people could visit the Kuril Islands without visas. The agreement has been in effect since 1999.

Back in March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation announced that it would cancel the visa-free regime for Japanese citizens in the Kuril Islands "taking into account the obvious unfriendly nature" of the sanctions imposed by Japan after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Japanese authorities have so far expressed "strong protest" to Russia.

• The 1999 agreement covered the islands of Kunashir, Iturup and several other islands of the Lesser Kuril Range, which belong to the Sakhalin region of Russia. They became part of the USSR in 1946. All Japanese were forcibly evicted from there. After the war, Russia (the legal successor of the USSR) and Japan never signed a peace treaty. Japan calls the Kuriles the Northern Territories under occupation.
• On March 21, 2022, Russia withdrew from protracted negotiations and froze joint economic projects related to the Kuril Islands. The reason was Japanʼs accession to Western sanctions due to Russiaʼs war against Ukraine. Already on March 26, Russia started military exercises on the islands.
• On March 31, Japan recognized the Kuril Islands as "the original territory of Japan under illegal occupation".