Japan is angered by Russia's intentions for the disputed Kurils

Agreement between Russia and Japan on the status of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

Whereas the world's attention is focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tensions between Moscow and Tokyo are increasing. The conflict over who controls the Kuril Islands off the coast of Hokkaido is one of the world's oldest territorial disputes with parallels to the Ukraine crisis.

Japan expressed anger on Thursday after Russia passed a bill into law creating a tariff-free zone on four Russian-controlled islands that Japan claims.

The Russian move came as Tokyo and Moscow were considering a plan to conduct collaborative economic activities on the islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kurils, without jeopardizing either country's legal status.

"It violates Japan's position on the four islands, as well as the goal of the combined economic activity the two countries are considering. It's a disgrace "At a regular news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that Japan had communicated its position on the situation to Russia.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Russia was trying to attract international investment to the islands by exempting businesses from critical taxes such as corporation and property taxes.

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