Japanese PM calls for resolving territorial issue, making peace treaty with Russia

TOKYO, January 24. /TASS/. Tokyo will continue active dialogue with Moscow aimed at resolving the territorial issue and making a peace treaty, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said addressing the country’s parliament on Wednesday. "In order to resolve the issue of the four islands and make a peace treaty, we will continue persistent talks with Russia," Abe stated. He added that Tokyo and Moscow would also continue active dialogue on a wide range of issues, including ways to ensure and maintain security. The Japanese prime minister mentioned joint economic activities on the Southern Kuril Islands, stressing that "intensive talks concerning the implementation of these plans, which would not harm the legal interests of neither of the parties," went on. Russia and Japan consider joint economic activities on the islands as an important step towards signing a peace treaty. At the same time, Japanese experts say that the two countries have different views on ways to implement such projects. Moscow believes that it should be done in compliance with Russian laws, while Tokyo suggests establishing some "special system" for the South Kuril Islands. South Kuril Islands issue, cooperation plan Since the mid-20th century, Russia and Japan have been holding consultations in order to clinch a peace treaty as a follow-up to World War II. The Kuril Islands issue remains the sticking point since after WWII the islands were handed over to the Soviet Union while Japan has laid claims to the Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands and a group of Islands that Tokyo refers to as Habomai. In 1956, the two countries signed a common declaration on ending the state of war and restoring diplomatic and all other relations, however, a peace treaty has still not been made. Moscow has stated many times that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands could not be questioned. In December 2016, Russian president Vladimir Putin visited Japan for the first time in 11 years. The peace treaty and the South Kuril Islands issues topped the agenda, bilateral cooperation was also discussed. Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe adopted a joint statement saying that consultations on joint economic activities on the South Kuril Islands could become an important step on the way to a peace treaty. The first consultations on joint economic activities, involving the Russian and Japanese deputy foreign ministers, were held in Tokyo on March 18, 2017. After the consultations, Japan said that participants in the meeting had presented their specific plans on cooperation in healthcare, tourism industry and fishery. Read more