Global General

Russia raps Japan over island dispute

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-02-11 17:39

MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Japan on Friday that its behaviour in a dispute over a group of Pacific islands was unacceptable.

Sergey Lavrov told Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara Friday that this week's government-backed rally in Tokyo damaged relations. During Monday's rally, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan demanded the return of several islands held by Russia since the end of World War II and called the recent visit there by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev an outrage.

Medvedev fired back Wednesday, saying that more weapons will be sent to the islands.

Relations between Japan and Russia have been clouded by a long-running dispute over four islands which Russia calls the Southern Kuriles and Japan calls the Northern Territories.