Japan Sticks to Its Position on Territory Issue with Russia

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that his government is sticking to its position to resolve the sovereignty issue of four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan, before signing a peace treaty with the country.

Abe was responding to a question from a member of the main opposition Democratic Party at a Lower House committee on Monday, Japan's broadcaster (NHK World) reported.  "There is no change" in Japan's position on its ownership over all of the Russian-controlled islands, Abe said. 

Muneo Suzuki, a veteran lawmaker from the northern island of Hokkaido and advisor to Abe, has promoted a so-called "two-track" approach ahead of the premier's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-December in Japan.

The approach reflects a 1956 joint declaration that states Moscow is to return the Habomai islet group as well as Shikotan island, which is part of the Kuril Islands chain, when the two countries conclude a post-war peace treaty.

However, Habomai and Shikotan make up only 7% of all of the disputed islands and Japan insists to have them all returned, including two large islands of the Kurils which are known as Kunashiri and Etorofu in Japan and Kunashir and Iturup in Russia.

The territorial spat over the islands, called Kurils in Russia and the Northern Islands in Japan, has prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty. 

Source : QNA