Katsuro Kitagawa, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s European Affairs Bureau, held talks in Moscow on Friday with Lyudmila Vorobyova, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Third Asian Department.

Kitagawa was the second head of the bureau to visit Russia since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022. His predecessor, Masashi Nakagome, visited Russia in June this year.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Russia, Kitagawa repeated Japan’s demand that Russia immediately stop its invasion of Ukraine.

Regarding Japan’s Northern Territories, or four islands currently controlled by Russia, the Japanese official called for the early resumption of grave visits by former Japanese islanders and operations by Japanese fishing boats in waters around the islands.

Meanwhile, Vorobyova claimed that relations between the two countries have worsened to an unprecedented level due to outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s short-sighted and hostile policy toward Russia, according to the Russian ministry.