Tokyo, 8 April, /AJMEDIA
Japan will phase out Russian coal imports as part of sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, the industry minister said Friday, joining other Group of Seven industrialized nations in the move.
Industry minister Koichi Hagiuda told a regular news conference Japan will gradually reduce the amount imported from Russia and eventually break Japan’s dependence on its coal, saying, “We seek to stop importing in the end.”
The move comes a day after G-7 foreign ministers strongly condemned Moscow for its “atrocities” in Ukraine and agreed to “sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures” unless the country stops the invasion of its neighbor.
The leaders of the G-7 — made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — also vowed in a joint statement to “expedite” plans to end their energy dependence on Russia by phasing out and banning Russian coal imports to punish Moscow.
On Thursday, the European Union agreed on an import ban on Russian coal.
In Japan, Russian coal makes up 13 percent of the total used for power generation. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce additional sanctions on Russia, including detailing the coal import restrictions, in a press conference later in the day.
