Japan calls for law-abiding fix to handling of frozen Russian assets

Japan wants any handling of frozen Russian assets to abide by international law, its finance minister said on Friday, adding that the topic will likely be discussed at next week’s meeting of his counterparts from G7 advanced economies.
“I don’t think there is consensus yet among the countries on what to do with the frozen Russian assets,” Suzuki told a press conference.
“Japan’s stance is that it must be handled in a way that does not violate international law,” he said, suggesting Tokyo is cautious over the idea, floated by Washington, of confiscating frozen Russian assets outright – a move some experts warn could lead to legal disputes.
Suzuki is expected to travel to Washington D.C. next week to attend the G7 and Group of 20 finance leaders’ gatherings, to be held on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meeting.