Japan to send business delegation to Russia in late May

TOKYO — Japan is preparing to send an economic delegation to Russia later this month in a move aimed at laying the groundwork for expanded business activity after the war in Ukraine ends, sources familiar with the plan said Friday.

The government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has proposed a two-day visit from May 26 for high-ranking representatives of major Japanese companies including trading house Mitsui & Co and shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd, according to the sources.

Mitsubishi Corp, another trading house, is also likely to join, the sources added.

The delegation is expected to meet senior officials from Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade, the sources said.

The envisaged trip has drawn a cautious response from some Japanese companies as it would take place amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

Still, signs of renewed engagement between Tokyo and Moscow have begun to emerge. Earlier this month, Japan imported crude oil from Russia for the first time since the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which started in late February.

The imports underscored Japan's vulnerability to disruptions in Middle Eastern energy supplies, as the country relies heavily on crude oil from the region, most of which transits through the strait.

In early April, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi both dismissed media reports that Japan was planning to send a business delegation to Russia.

In 2016, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed an economic cooperation plan to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Discussions later advanced on concrete projects in areas such as energy development and agriculture, before such talks were effectively frozen due to the Ukraine war.

Abe, known as Takaichi's political mentor, pursued dialogue with Putin and met him 27 times during his tenure through 2020 in a bid to resolve a bilateral territorial dispute, but no breakthrough was achieved.

Japanese firms including Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co have withdrawn from or scaled back their operations in Russia.

In a related move, Japanese lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, who has longstanding ties with Russia, visited Moscow earlier this month and met with Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. Suzuki quoted the latter as saying that Russia is open to holding foreign ministerial talks with Japan if Tokyo desires.

© KYODO