Japan’s Abe wants summit talks with Putin over territorial dispute
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin are needed in order for Japan and Russia to settle a long-running territorial dispute.
Tokyo and Moscow never reached a peace treaty following World War II due to conflicting claims over four Pacific islands close to Japan’s north coast, known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan.
The disputed islands, which were inhabited by the Japanese and under Tokyo’s control based on an agreement with Russia in 1855, were captured by the Soviet Union in 1945. Japan continues to lay claims to the islands.
Speaking at a Monday news conference in Tokyo, Abe said, “We both recognize that 70 years after the war’s end, to not have concluded a peace treaty is abnormal,” adding, “But without a summit meeting, this Northern Territories problem cannot be resolved.”
Abe has sought to improve ties with Russia since taking office in late 2012; however, a number of issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, have complicated that bid. Several tentative plans for a Putin visit to Japan were postponed by Tokyo under pressure from its Western allies, who accuse the Kremlin of having a hand in the conflict in Ukraine.
Japanese media say Tokyo thinks now is a good time to seek negotiations with Moscow over the territorial dispute given Russia’s desire to enhance foreign investment in its Far East region.
Political observers suggest a deal may allow both countries to split control of the islands.
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