Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi demanded the immediate release of a Japanese national detained by Russian authorities in Sakhalin region. Motegi made the request to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their October 30 meeting in Atlanta, according to an official Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.
The detainee is Yuki Imai, a journalist with the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper. Russian authorities suspect him of espionage, while Japan disputes the circumstances of his detention. According to Jiji Press, Imai was transferred from Sakhalin to Moscow, where Japanese embassy staff were able to visit him.
The ministers met for approximately half an hour. Motegi also called on Russia to help secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Both sides agreed to maintain contact.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the meeting had been held at Japan's request and had covered bilateral relations. According to Jiji Press, Lavrov said Tokyo would need to abandon what Moscow calls its unfriendly stance before dialogue could resume. The Russian announcement did not mention the detained journalist.