Atlanta, Oct. 30 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Friday demanded the immediate release of a reporter for Japan's Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper detained by Russian authorities, in a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

The meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, was the first between the Japanese and Russian foreign ministers since the reporter was detained Oct. 13. The reporter was transferred from the Sakhalin region in Russia's Far East to Moscow, where Japanese embassy staff held a consular meeting with him Monday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the two top diplomats held a brief meeting at Japan's request and discussed bilateral relations. Lavrov argued that Japan must abandon its unfriendly stance toward Moscow for dialogue between the two countries to resume.

The Russian announcement made no mention of the Japanese reporter's detention.

At their meeting, Motegi and Lavrov also discussed the situation in Ukraine, with the Japanese minister urging Russia to take positive actions toward achieving a "just and lasting peace."

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (second from front left) and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, (second from right) hold talks in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday. (Courtesy of the Japanese Foreign Ministry)

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