ANKARA

A veteran Japanese lawmaker has asked Russia to allow its fishing boats to resume operations in the waters around four disputed islands off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

Muneo Suzuki, a 76-year-old independent House of Councilors member, who is currently on a visit to Russia, told reporters after meeting with Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery Andrey Yakovlev that he also sought permission to resume kelp harvesting in waters off the Habomai islet group.

Suzuki is known for advocating close relations with Russia, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

The islet group, which includes Shikotan, Kunashiri, and Etorofu, is known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.

On Monday, Japan’s top spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi criticized Suzuki's decision to visit Russia, calling it inappropriate given the government's advisory against travel to Moscow.

Rejecting criticism, Suzuki said "I am acting in Japan's national interests. I believe that developing Japan-Russia relations contributes to the stability of East Asia and the world."

On July 15, Moscow announced that kelp harvesting would be halted in the waters near Kaigara island in the Habomai islet group due to a non-functioning lighthouse on the island.

Suzuki cited Yakovlev as saying that Russia intends to allow operations once the lighthouse repairs are completed.

Yakovlev, according to Suzuki, added that the resumption of safe fishing operations in the Northern Territories would be contingent on Japan, as the suspension was imposed due to Tokyo's "anti-Russia stance."

Bilateral negotiations were suspended after Japan imposed punitive sanctions against Russia following its war with Ukraine that began in February 2022.

Last month, Japan slapped fresh sanctions on Russia, including freezing the assets of dozens of financial institutions and individuals for being "directly" involved in or supporting Moscow's war against Kyiv.

More than 1,000 individuals and over 150 entities from Russia are already on Japan's sanctions list, which were introduced in stages in response to the situation in Ukraine.

Moscow, for its part, has said it will continue to respond to Japan's "hostile policy" and "anti-Russian course," as Tokyo imposed fresh sanctions on the country over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.