Summoned Japanese Ambassador to Come to Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday

According to the statement, Akira Muto "suddenly felt much better"

© Sofia Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Japanese Ambassador to Russian Akira Muto, who has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry, will appear there on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Following today’s remarks by [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov at a news conference regarding the Japanese ambassador’s failure to come to the Russian Foreign Ministry on the pretext of feeling unwell, the ambassador suddenly felt much better and will arrive at the Foreign Ministry tomorrow," she said.

Answering a TASS question, Lavrov said earlier that the Japanese ambassador had been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry following Tokyo’s protest against President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Island of Iturup. The Japanese embassy however failed to clearly explain why its ambassador ignored a summons. "After a pause, they explained that he (the ambassador - TASS) would not be able to come either on Friday, August 14 or on Monday, August 17, i.e. today, because he is either not in Moscow or is not feeling well," he said.