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 30-minute meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, was the first official in-person meeting between the Japanese and Russian foreign ministers since September 2021, although Motegi and Lavrov had a brief chat in the Philippines in July this year.

As the talks were the first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Motegi mentioned the situation in the Eastern European country and urged Russia to take positive steps toward achieving a "just and lasting peace."

Another topic was Russian President Vladimir Putin's August visit to Etorofu, one of the four Moscow-controlled northwestern Pacific islands at the center of the two countries' long-standing territorial row. Motegi reiterated Japan's view on the visit. The two top diplomats agreed to continue communication despite the strained relations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the two foreign ministers 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.

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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