Japanese consul in Vladivostok given 48 hours to leave Russia — foreign ministry

The Japanese diplomat was detained while receiving classified information about current aspects of Russia’s cooperation with an Asia Pacific country, impacts of the West’s sanction policy on the economic situation in the Maritime territory and paying for it

MOSCOW, September 26. /TASS/. A minister counsellor of the Japanese embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on Monday over the illegal activities of Consul of the Japanese consulate general in Vladivostok Motoki Tatsunori, who was declared persona non grata and given 48 hours to leave Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said.

"A minister counsellor of the Japanese embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on September 26. It was told to him that the consul of the Japanese consulate general in Vladivostok has been declared persona non grata for his activities that are incompatible with the status of a consular official and infringe on Russia’s security interests. The man must leave Russia in 48 hours," the ministry said.

Apart from that, according to the ministry, a strong protest was expressed to the Japanese side over the general consulate official’s activities and a corresponding note was handed in.

According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the Japanese diplomat was detained while receiving classified information about current aspects of Russia’s cooperation with an Asia Pacific country, impacts of the West’s sanction policy on the economic situation in the Maritime territory and paying for it.