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Veteran LDP lawmaker Muneo Suzuki said Russia's deputy foreign minister told him Moscow could arrange foreign minister talks with Japan in July, a possible first in-person meeting since 2021, according to Japan Today and TBS News DIG. The offer was tied to the ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings in Manila, but Russian officials also framed any broader restart of contacts as conditional on Japan changing its current Russia policy.
Key developments
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Suzuki met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Moscow on May 4 during a visit that Japanese broadcasters described as his fourth trip to Russia since Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. FNN Prime Online reported that Suzuki arrived May 3 and was scheduled to meet Russian foreign ministry officials and fisheries-related officials before leaving May 5.
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According to Suzuki's account, Rudenko raised the possibility of a Japan-Russia foreign minister meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN gatherings in Manila in July if Tokyo wants one. TBS identified the potential principals as Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kyodo, carried by Kobe Shimbun, reported that a face-to-face meeting would be the first since September 2021.
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The signal does not amount to a full diplomatic thaw. Kyodo also cited the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying Japan would need concrete steps away from what Moscow calls a hostile anti-Russia policy before state-to-state contacts resume. Japan joined U.S. and European sanctions after the Ukraine invasion, and Russia responded by suspending peace treaty negotiations, including talks tied to the Northern Territories dispute.
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Suzuki said Rudenko also showed willingness to discuss vice-ministerial consultations. TV Asahi reported that Suzuki linked those stalled channels to unresolved practical issues, including fisheries talks and visits by former Northern Territories residents to family graves.
What to watch
The immediate question is whether Tokyo treats the July proposal as a real diplomatic opening or as a Russian message delivered through a lawmaker with long-standing Moscow ties. Japanese officials have not confirmed that Motegi will seek a meeting with Lavrov, and accepting one could raise questions about Japan's coordination with other G7 members on sanctions and Ukraine.
The next visible update may come from Japan's Foreign Ministry or cabinet briefings after Suzuki reports back. If Tokyo declines, the episode may remain a signaling exercise. If it accepts, the agenda and wording will matter: a narrowly framed meeting on humanitarian, fisheries, and communication issues would carry different implications from any discussion suggesting a wider reset.
Sources
- Japan Today: Russia open to foreign minister talks with Japan: lawmaker
- TBS News DIG: Russia says it is ready for foreign minister talks if Japan wants them
- FNN Prime Online: Suzuki says Russian deputy foreign minister was positive on talks
- Kobe Shimbun/Kyodo: Russia says meeting with Japan is possible
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