Sergei Lavrov
Russia gave Japan the proposals for specific joint venture projects in the Southern Kuriles. On Monday, March 20, said Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after talks on security issues in the format of “2+2” in Tokyo, the correspondent “Tapes.ru”.
“In response, we received ideas. Agreed, that will be organized by the professional elaboration of these issues,” — said the Minister.
The head of the Japanese foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said that Tokyo gave Moscow its proposals on joint economic activities on the Islands during the consultations at the level of Deputy foreign Ministers, held on 18 March. “And we have confirmed that we will deepen the discussion on drawing up a list of priority projects, and consideration of the legal framework [for this activity],” explained a Japanese diplomat.
8 Jan Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe said that the joint activities of Tokyo and in the South Kuril Islands could become “a big plus on the way to the conclusion of a peace Treaty” between the countries.
The President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the head of the Japanese government have agreed on a document about the beginning of consultations on joint economic activities of two countries in the South Kuril Islands during the Russian leader’s visit to Japan in December 2016.
Following the end of world war II between Moscow and Tokyo never signed a peace Treaty. The main obstacle to the signing of the document is the unresolved dispute over the southern Kuril Islands, namely the largest Islands: Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group.