Japan's Hatoyama Arrives in Crimea

Moscow, March 10 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday arrived in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March last year. Hatoyama is the first well-known Japanese that has visited the peninsula since the Ukrainian crisis intensified in February last year. Hatoyama did not follow Japanese government requests that he give up the trip. The Group of Seven major nations regard Russia's annexation of Crimea as "violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." Japan has said it cannot overlook an attempt to change the status quo with force in the background. Hatoyama has been drawing criticism in Japan because his visit to Crimea could be mistaken as a signal of Japan's effective approval of Russia's annexation. Hatoyama arrived in Moscow on Monday and arrived at an airport at the major Crimean city of Simferopol on Tuesday, according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. He was welcomed by Georgy Muradov, Crimea's deputy premier who works for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Itar-Tass said. Hatoyama is expected to stay in Crimea through Thursday. END