According to the Russian news website 'Vesti.ru', on August 13 local time, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov described how Japanese Foreign Minister Toshihide Moteki discussed bilateral relations with him in Manila, Philippines.
“Japanese Foreign Minister previously issued a statement saying they discussed bilateral relations and regional situation with Lavrov. I was shocked at the time,” Lavrov said, “because that was during an official banquet where all ministers were seated around the long table. Suddenly someone patted my shoulder from behind, and I turned to see our Japanese colleague standing there, he opened his mouth and said ‘So happy to meet you! Great!’ I didn't even have time to stand up, so I shook hands with him, then he returned to his seat.” This is what they called 'discussing bilateral and regional issues'. ”
Mao Miuchong, Kyodo News
According to a report by Kyodo News, on July 23, Mokugi Toshihiro revealed to media in the Philippines that he had a brief conversation with Lavrov on the 21st.
He said, “We are old acquaintances, and we discussed bilateral relations and regional situations.” The Japanese Foreign Ministry stated that this was the first meeting between Japanese and Russian foreign ministers since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Momoki Toshifumi said that he met with Lavrov at a dinner hosted by the Filipino Foreign Minister and exchanged pleasantries. Regarding Japan-Russia relations, he emphasized, 'Although the situation is severe, Russia is a neighboring country of our country.' 'It is important to properly manage bilateral relations, including communication between governments and cultural exchanges.'
