Japan's former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama called on Shinzo Abe to lift economic sanctions that Tokyo imposed on Moscow after Crimea joined Russia, according to Sputnik News.
“I think Japan should take a step back from the economic sanctions. Sadly, during the recent G7 summit Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went in favor of the decision to extend the economic sanctions against Russia for six months,” Hatoyama told RIA Novosti. “I hope that the Prime Minister understands that was undesirable for Japan.”
He called on Japan to revaluate its stance on the sanctions, according to the report. “I expect Russian-Japanese relations to improve if Tokyo does not support sanctions or lifts them,” Hatoyama said.
The former Japanese Prime Minister visited Crimea in March 2015.
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