Japanese lawmaker who visited Russia faces possible fine

MOSCOW - The Japan Restoration Party is considering applying penalties to its member, lawmaker Muneo Suzuki for his trip to Russia without prior notice where he met with Russian authorities, Sputnik quoted Japanese broadcaster NHK report on Tuesday.

Suzuki met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

Suzuki's office said the Upper House of the Japanese Parliament was informed about the lawmaker's trip, while his party said it was not consulted, according to the report.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Suzuki had not informed the cabinet about his intentions.

"The Japanese government did not receive advance notice from Suzuki about his trip to Russia," Matsuno told a briefing.

He also said the government was not in a position to comment on the details of Suzuki's trip. Matsuno once again advised Japanese citizens not to travel to Russia.

Suzuki has been a prominent figure in Japanese politics for over 40 years. He is known for his interest in signing a peace treaty with Russia and developing bilateral ties between the countries.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said, during the meeting, Rudenko had praised Suzuki's contributions to the development of bilateral relations and stated that years of cooperation between Russia and Japan were being destroyed by Tokyo's sanctions policy. - BERNAMA