The organizers of the “Russia’s Entrepreneurs” competition said – in a statement carried by the “Russia Today” news network today, Monday – that the recipients of Russian citizenship were distinguished managers in the management competition from countries including “Israel, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Georgia.”
In a separate context, the Russian Federal Security Service arrested the Japanese Consul General in Vladivostok, in the Far East of Russia; For receiving classified information about the impact of sanctions on the situation in the Russian “Primoria” region, as well as about Russian cooperation with one of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The Federal Security Service of Primoria Territory has thwarted an espionage act, which was carried out by the Consul General of Japan in Vladivostok, Motoki Tatsunori,” the Russian Federal Security Service said in a statement.
The statement added: “The search and investigation operations resulted in the arrest of the Japanese diplomat in flagrante delicto while receiving information prohibited from circulating in exchange for a financial reward on the current aspects of Russian cooperation with one of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and the impact of sanctions on the situation in the Primora region.”
The statement pointed out that “a protest has been submitted to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels, and the Japanese diplomat is considered persona non grata as a result of his practices that are not commensurate with his job duties.”
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the envoy counselor at the Japanese embassy in Moscow, after the Japanese consul in Vladivostok was arrested on espionage, and informed him of his consul’s declaration of persona non grata in Russia.
The ministry said in a statement: “The envoy counselor at the Japanese Embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where we informed him of our declaration that the Consul of the Japanese Consulate General in Vladivostok persona non grata in Russia, which necessitates his departure from Russian territory within 48 hours.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that a protest note was submitted to the Japanese side against the practices of its consul in Russia.