Japan to recall ambassador to Russia
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Japan has decided to recall its ambassador to Russia temporarily, said Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara Tuesday.
At a press conference, Maehara said that Masaharu Kono, Japanese ambassador to Russia, will soon return and stay home for a while.
The move came one day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to disputed Kunashiri Island, one of the Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.
Following Maehara's announcement, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said that the government has yet to decide how long Kono will stay in Japan.
At a separate press conference, the top government spokesman said that the government intends to gather the latest information concerning the president's trip to the disputed island during the ambassador's stay in Tokyo.
On Monday, Maehara summoned Russian ambassador to Japan Mikhail Bely to lodge a protest against the visit of the Russian president, who became the first leader from Russia or the former Soviet Union to set foot on any of the islands off Hokkaido, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
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