Tokyo says Russia continues occupation of southern Kuril Island

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has stated that the southern part of the Kuril Islands is "ancestral Japanese territories, which are now under illegal occupation by Russia”.

The issue of ownership of these territories is "the most serious unresolved issue of Japanese-Russian relations”, TASS reports, citing the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s annual report entitled "Blue Book".

Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the position of the country's authorities regarding the islands in the southern part of the Kuril Islands will not change in the future.

In March, Kishida referred to the southern part of the Kuril Islands as "ancestral territories" of Japan.

On April 3, the Kyodo news agency reported that Beijing had changed its position on the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands for the first time in nearly 60 years, taking a neutral position. It was pointed out that China had supported Japan's position on the issue since 1964.