The Japanese government will persistently seek mutual understanding with Russia on the territorial issue and the conclusion of a peace treaty, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said before the 45th National Congress, insisting on the return of the Northern Territories.
In Japan, the term Northern Territories refers to the southern Kuril Islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai. February 7 is celebrated as “Northern Territories Day“.
Takaichi stressed that more than 80 years have passed since the end of World War II, but Japan has still not concluded a peace treaty with Russia and the territorial issue between the two countries remains unresolved. “This is truly offensive and regrettable, and the government takes it seriously“, she said, quoted by Nikkei.
The prime minister noted that although relations between Japan and Russia are “in a difficult situation“ due to the conflict in Ukraine, the government's position on concluding a peace treaty and resolving the territorial issue remains unchanged. Takaichi cited the restoration of the right of former residents of the Kuril Islands to visit the graves of their ancestors without visas as one of his main priorities. She said Tokyo would strongly urge Moscow to renew this agreement.
The USSR occupied the Southern Kuril Islands during World War II. After the capture of the islands, Soviet troops deported the Japanese population. Due to disagreements on the territorial issue, Japan and the Soviet Union, to which Russia became the legal successor, did not conclude a peace treaty.
In 2022, Moscow refused to continue negotiations on a peace treaty with Tokyo due to the “obviously hostile nature of Japan's unilateral restrictions against Russia“ - after the start of the war in Ukraine, Japan imposed several rounds of sanctions. Russia withdrew from the dialogue on establishing joint economic activity on the Southern Kuril Islands. Agreements on relaxed rules for visiting the Kuril Islands by former residents of the islands were also terminated.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow does not prevent visits by former islanders, but they can do so under the same conditions as other countries, with visas. “The only obstacle is the position of official Tokyo, which for many years has practically prohibited Japanese citizens from traveling to the aforementioned islands, except for visa-free, thereby politicizing the issue“, they noted.“
The Foreign Ministry pointed to “the Japanese government's active rejection of its current Russophobic policy“ as a condition for resuming a full-fledged dialogue between Russia and Japan.”