The Kremlin Considers Japan's Travel Warning To Show Tokyo Doesn't Want To Be Friendly With Moscow

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov/Wary Sergey Bulkin/TASS

JAKARTA - The Kremlin said Japan's warning asking its citizens to avoid travel to Russia shows Tokyo is increasingly aligned with "Western". Japan's leadership is considered by Russia to want to establish relations with Moscow.

Kyodo news agency reported Muneo Suzuki, a veteran Japanese lawmaker known for promoting close ties with Russia, visited Moscow for talks with government officials that went against the government's advice on the trip.

The report quoted Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi as saying there was government advice urging citizens, including lawmakers, to avoid travel to Russia.

When asked about the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Japan's leadership appeared to be trying to pressure Japanese citizens who wanted to improve relations with Moscow from visiting Russia.

Peskov said there were no communication plans between Suzuki and the Kremlin, Peskov said there were no plans.

"It is clear that Tokyo is dominated by figures who do not support the development of bilateral relations. Unfortunately, Japan's current leadership has expressed its solidarity with Western collective actions that are unfriendly to Russia, and this is definitely detrimental. Our bilateral relationship," Peskov said.

"Unfortunately, state leaders (Japan) do not restrict themselves to their attitude towards our country and try to suppress those with different points of view and try to find ways to establish contact," he added.

Tokyo and Moscow have long been involved in a regional dispute over four islands off the coast of Japan, something that has prevented the two countries from officially making peace agreements since the end of the Second World War.