Japan denies report it urged traders to join Russia trip in May

The Japanese government on Friday denied a report by Kyodo news ​agency that it has asked the country's top trading ‌houses to join a delegation which plans to visit Russia in May, Report informs via Reuters.

Late on Thursday, citing sources, Kyodo said that the government is ​anticipating that Japanese companies will fully resume business ​in Russia once its war with Ukraine is ⁠over.

It added that the government has requested participation from ​Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, Sumitomo, Marubeni, as well as ​from Mitsui O.S.K Lines shipping company.

"As for the factual accuracy of the report, it is not true. The Japanese government will continue to ​implement sanctions against Russia," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara ​told a regular news conference.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in ‌2022 ⁠and international diplomatic efforts have not yet led to a peace deal. Japan joined a wide range of western sanctions on Russia and largely stopped importing oil from ​there after ​2022.

Japan's dependence on ⁠the Middle East, which supplies over 90% of its oil needs, is being challenged ​as the US-Israeli war on Iran stops ​shipments ⁠via the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan's industry ministry said separately it did not make any such requests to trading companies.