Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island, one of the Kuril Islands, as part of his working visit to Sakhalin Oblast.
Modern.az reports that the Kremlin's press service released information about this.
Putin was met on the island by Valery Limarenko, the governor of Sakhalin Oblast.
The first object visited by the Russian leader was the "Yasny" fish processing plant. Putin familiarized himself with the products manufactured at the enterprise. He was also presented with various types of fish roe. The President also took a souvenir photo with the factory employees.
During the visit, Putin also received information about tuna fish in the waters of Iturup, which are reported to be able to reach a weight of 300 kilograms.
Putin's visit to Iturup caused a strong reaction from Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its "strong protest" to the Russian side regarding this.
Tokyo calls the Southern Kuril Islands, including Iturup, the "Northern Territories" and states that they belong to Japan. Russia, on the other hand, considers the islands its territory. This territorial issue is one of the main disagreements between the two countries that has been ongoing for many years.
It should be noted that this is Putin's first personal visit to Iturup. The visit has brought the dispute between Russia and Japan over the Kuril Islands back into the spotlight.
