Russian Foreign Ministry: Memoranda on Japanese centers in Russia are no longer valid

Intergovernmental memoranda on the activities of Japanese centers for technical assistance conducted in Russia's reforms no longer work. Such a statement was made by the Russian Foreign Ministry as a notification to Japan.

"In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 11-r dated January 15, 2025, the Russian Foreign Ministry notified the Japanese side on January 21 of the termination of the application of the memorandum between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Japan on the establishment and operation on the territory of the Russian Federation of Japanese centers for technical assistance conducted in Reforms of the Russian Federation," the document says.

The ministry added that at one time these agreements were reached "based on the understanding that cooperation with Japan in implementing reforms in Russia will contribute, as set out in the memoranda, to the establishment of a creative partnership between the two countries, as well as the strengthening and comprehensive development of ties in various fields, including economic and cultural."

"The unprecedented unfriendly steps taken by Tokyo against our country since February 2022, including illegitimate sanctions against the Russian leadership, citizens, financial institutions and entire sectors of the economy, depriving Russia of the most favored nation status in trade, participation — regardless of its form — in the plundering of sovereign holdings, run counter to the spirit and letter of the memoranda. In the context of the continuation of the anti—Russian policy by the Japanese government, it is obvious that the goals and objectives declared in these documents have lost their relevance, and the interaction based on them has exhausted itself," the statement further says.