Russian parliament leader calls on Japan to give up Sakhalin-2 stake

Lawmaker says interests should be sold to Gazprom or 'friendly nation'

20220525N Sakhalin II LNG Cargo Arrives in Japan

An tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas from Russia's Sakhalin-2 project arrives at a Japanese terminal. © Kyodo

MOMOKO KIDERA, Nikkei staff writer

May 26, 2022 00:33 JST

ISTANBUL -- The head of Russia's lower parliamentary house on Wednesday slammed Japan as an "unfriendly nation" that is benefiting from its interests in the Sakhalin-2 energy project.

Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, singled out Japan, the U.K. and the Netherlands for receiving "huge profits" from the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in Russia's Far East, according to the Duma's website.