Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi revealed the strategy of negotiations with Russia on the Kuril Islands. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
According to him, Japan will negotiate with Russia on the basis of a basic position on “solving the territorial problem.” Motegi noted that the issue of the northern territories of the Kuriles in Japanese-Russian relations is the biggest and most difficult problem. “It is necessary to resolve the territorial problem as soon as possible and conclude a peace treaty with Russia,” he said.
The head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry recalled that in February last year he had his fourth meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Munich, and in May and October telephone talks took place. The Minister stressed that he intends to persist in negotiations based on the basic position.
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga promised to move forward in resolving the dispute with Russia over the Kuril Islands. According to him, in the new negotiations, all the agreements reached between the two states on the disputed territories by the Japanese side will be observed. Suga emphasized that he will do his best to get things going.
As a result of the Second World War, a peace treaty was not concluded between Moscow and Tokyo. The main obstacle to its signing was the unresolved territorial dispute over the southern part of the Kuriles – the Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands and the Habomai group of islands.
The Japanese side calls the South Kuriles “northern territories” and does not recognize Russian sovereignty over them. Moscow, in turn, does not recognize the very fact of the territorial dispute. Washington, like Tokyo, considers the South Kuriles to be part of Japan.