MOSCOW, August 6./TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov has handed over a note of protest to Japanese Ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki over violations from Japanese participants in visa-free travels to South Kurils, the Foreign Ministry said in a report.

"Toyohisa Kuzuki has received a note expressing resolute protest in connection with the incidents of violations on the South Kuril Islands committed by Japanese participants in visa-free exchanges with the islands," the ministry said. The Russian side "pointed out to the necessity of a conscientious approach to forming visa-free groups" in Japan.

The Russian diplomat drew attention of the Japanese ambassador to "inadmissibility of Tokyo’s ‘protests’ in connection with Russia’s actions on its sovereign territory," pointing out that the South Kuril Islands are Russian territory on legal grounds as the outcome of WWII.

"The Russian side emphasized that comments from official Tokyo over visits to this area of the Sakhalin region by representatives of the Russian leadership, as well as carrying out different activities, including along the social-economic and defense trajectories, are verging on attempts to meddle in Russia’s domestic affairs," the Foreign Ministry said.

Since the mid-20th century, Moscow and Tokyo have been engaged with certain breaks into negotiations on hammering out a peace treaty on the results of WWII. The status of the South Kuril Islands has been the main stumbling block.

After World War II, the whole archipelago became part of the Soviet Union. However, Tokyo disputes Russian claims over Iturup, Kunashir and Shikotan islands as well as a number of smaller uninhabited islands called the Habomai Islands in Japan. Moscow has stated many times that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands cannot be called into question.

Ahead of a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 summit in June, Kyodo had reported that the Japanese side saw it as difficult at the current stage to coordinate the earlier voiced by Russia proposal to abolish visas between Hokkaido and Sakhalin for short-term trips.