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Japan Prime Minister announces ban on Russian coal
"We will ban imports of Russian coal. We will secure alternatives and by gradually reducing imports, we will reduce our dependence on Russian energy," Kishida told a press conference.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo as an extraordinary Diet session was closed on December 21, 2021. (AFP/Yoshikazu Tsuno)
J
apanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced new sanctions on Russian, including a coal ban, on Friday, slamming Moscow for violations of international law in Ukraine.
"We will ban imports of Russian coal. We will secure alternatives and by gradually reducing imports, we will reduce our dependence on Russian energy," Kishida told a press conference.
Kishida on Friday unveiled a range of measures against Russia, including freezing the assets of several key banks, adding that the country would expand sanctions against Russian individuals.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry announced that eight Russian diplomats and trade officials were being expelled from the country, though the ambassador was not among them.
The step comes after European Union nations, including France and Germany, said this week they would expel Russian diplomats. Russia denies targeting civilians in the conflict in Ukraine, where it says it has launched a "special operation".
Several trade officials were among the diplomats expelled by Japan, but not the Russian ambassador, Mikhail Galuzin, said foreign ministry officials, who declined to give further details.
Such expulsions, though infrequent, are not unheard of for Japan, however, having happened several times during the Soviet era, the officials said.
