Japan’s Abe seeks progress at talks in Russia on peace treaty, Kurile Islands

TOKYO, April 27. /TASS/. Japan wants to move forward on a post-war peace treaty with Russia and on joint economic activity in the southern Kurile Islands, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday before leaving for Russia on an official visit. "We want to move forward at the talks on the peace treaty and to make a big push to the implementation of joint activity on four Northern Islands along with unhindered access to (ancestors’) graves by former residents," Abe said. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is arriving in Russia on Thursday on an official visit. He is due to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss implementation of the agreements reached during Putin’s visit to Japan on December 15-16, 2016. Along with this, the leaders will tackle the current state and prospects for political, economic and humanitarian cooperation of Japan and Russia. Since mid-20th century, Russia and Japan have been negotiating a peace treaty after World War II. The main stumbling block to this is the issue of the ownership of the South Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II all Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands and the Habomai Islands is challenged by Japan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated many times that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands is beyond doubt. In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ceasing the state of war. The two countries resumed diplomatic and other relations, however no peace treaty has been signed until now. The Soviet Union committed to paper in the declaration its readiness to hand over Shikotan and Habomai to Japan as a gesture of good will after the peace treaty is ultimately signed. Japan’s position is that the peace treaty should be signed after solving the issue of the ownership of all four South Kuril Islands. Read more