Kishida: no new steps in Japan-Russia economic cooperation now possible

No new steps to implement the eight-point plan of economic cooperation between Japan and Russia are now possible due to the situation around Ukraine, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday.

"As for the eight-point cooperation plan in view of the current situation, we understand that, naturally, new steps [on its implementation] are now impossible," he told parliament.

According to the Japanese prime minister, decisions on future economic and business cooperation with Russia will be taken based on "the national interests of the Japanese people, based on issues of Japan’s energy security" and further development of the situation around Ukraine.