Russia withdraws from agreement with Japan to eliminate nuclear weapons

Russia is ending cooperation with Japan on the elimination of nuclear weapons, follows from the order of the Russian government. Document published on the official portal of legal acts.

An agreement on cooperation in the elimination of nuclear weapons subject to reduction in the Russian Federation was signed between the governments of Russia and Japan in Tokyo in 1993. As part of the agreements, a Cooperation Committee was created to assist in the elimination of nuclear weapons.

In July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Japan and South Korea are ready to deploy American nuclear weapons on their territory. Then he noted that NATO has a goal to transfer part of its military infrastructure to the Indo-Pacific region, in particular to Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, a peace treaty following World War II was not concluded between Russia and Japan due to the protracted dispute over the South Kuril Islands. The state of war between the two countries was officially ended in 1956, after which the USSR and Japan resumed diplomatic relations in accordance with the Moscow Declaration.

According to the Japanese position, Russia must transfer to Japan the four southern islands of the Kuril chain. Moscow recognizes the 1956 declaration of the USSR, which talks about the possibility of transferring the two islands after the conclusion of a peace treaty.

Russian authorities have stated that they do not plan to discuss a peace treaty with Tokyo, and in February, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reportedthat the issue related to the possibility of concluding a peace agreement with Japan is closed for Moscow.