Japan refused to consider the four Russian Islands of the Kurils a part of
MOSCOW, 31 Jan — RIA Novosti. Japan claims to the Kuril Islands, but Tokyo does not believe Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan and Habomai ridge part of the archipelago.
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This was stated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, commenting on the speech of Communist party Chairman Kazuo Sii in the lower house of Parliament.
The ‘Northern territories’ — the Islands subject to the sovereignty of our country. In this position there is no change.Shinzo Abaranger Prime Minister of Japan
However, he added that Japan “gave up the rights to the Kuriles at the San Francisco peace Treaty of 1951” and therefore does not require their return.
Speaking about the prospects of concluding a peace Treaty with Russia, Abe has stressed that solving the territorial issue is the main point of discussion for Japan.
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“The subject of the negotiations is the question of the ownership of the four Islands, is the consistent position of the government”, — said the Japanese Prime Minister.
Speaking in Parliament, Abe expressed confidence that both countries “will continue to strengthen mutual trust and friendship and work together to find mutually acceptable solutions to advance negotiations on the conclusion of a peace Treaty.”
The dialogue between Russia and Japan for many years overshadows the absence of a peace agreement. Tokyo claims Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and group of Islands Habomai, referring to the bilateral Tract about trade and borders from 1855.
In 1956 Moscow agreed to consider the transfer of Habomai and Shikotan after the conclusion of the peace agreement. The Soviet side was expected to put an end to territorial disputes, but Tokyo did not renounce claims to all the Islands. In the end, a peace Treaty was never signed.
Moscow’s position is that the Islands were part of the Soviet Union following the Second world war and the Russian sovereignty over them cannot be questioned.
1853
“From ugnali Kuril Islands, Russia-owned, is the island of Urup, which we could be limited… to the Japanese side of the border was considered the Northern tip of Iturup”
(From the note of the adjutant-General Euphemia Putyatin , on behalf of Russia signed with Japan Treaty of Shimoda, the first Treaty of territorial delimitation between Moscow and Tokyo, 1853).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 2/16
1945
“Their aggression against our country Japan began in 1904… Japan Today… signed the act of unconditional surrender. This means that southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands will go to the Soviet Union and henceforth will serve as… to the base of the Japanese attack in the far East, as a means of direct communication of the Soviet Union with the ocean and a base for the defense of our country against Japanese aggression”
(From the appeal of Joseph Stalin to the Soviet people in connection with the surrender of Japan, 3 September 1945).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 3/16
1956
“The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, to meet the wishes of Japan and taking into account the interests of the Japanese state, agrees to transfer to Japan the Habomai Islands and the island of Shikotan, so however, that the actual transfer of these Islands will be made after the conclusion of a peace Treaty”
(9th article of the Soviet-Japanese Declaration, 19 October 1956).
In the photo: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikolai Bulganin, who had signed the Declaration of the Soviet Union
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 4/16
1960
“The Soviet government deems it necessary to state that only provided the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the territory of Japan and the signing of the peace Treaty between the USSR and Japan of Islands Habomai and Shikotan would be transferred to Japan, as envisaged by the joint Declaration of the USSR and Japan from October 19, 1956”
(From the aide-Memoire of the Soviet government of January 27, 1960).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 5/16
1977
“To say that between our countries there are some “unresolved territorial issue” is one-sided and wrong interpretation”
(The answers of General Secretary of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev to the questions of the newspaper “Asahi”, April 1977).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 6/16
1988
“As for the so-called territorial issue, the Soviet side considers this issue resolved at the appropriate historical and international framework. The Soviet Union the territory is large, but the extra land we have,”
(From the statement of the Minister of foreign Affairs of the USSR Eduard Shevardnadze, 7 may 1988).
RIA “Novosti”7/16
1991
“We have long pretended that the problem does not exist. But it will not go away. And it became increasingly clear as soon as we become objectively to understand it”
(From the speech of the President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev at the session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, April 1991).
RIA “Novosti”8/16
1991
“One of the problems which we have to tackle in the near future is the achievement of a final post-war settlement of relations with Japan… it is Known that the main obstacle to this Treaty, the issue of border demarcation between Russia and Japan… In your approach to it will be guided by the principles of justice and humanity”
(From a letter to Russian President Boris Yeltsin to the citizens of Russia, November 1991).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 9/16
1993
“In my opinion, the question of territorial belonging of the South Kuril Islands is not worth it. We are a foreign land is not necessary, but its not give never. We are on the subject anyone don’t talk. Did not give and will not give up!”
(Statement by Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin during a visit to the South Kuril Islands, August 1993).
RIA “Novosti”10/16
1997
“The parties undertake to make every effort to sign a peace Treaty by the year 2000”
(From the Krasnoyarsk Declaration, signed by Boris Yeltsin and Ryutaro Hashimoto in November 1997).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 11/16
2000
“It does not say that Russia and Japan commit themselves to signing such a Treaty. It says here that they will make every effort to sign this contract”
(From the answers of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese reporters, September 2000).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 12/16
2002
“We generally would like to put an end to this problem. We have no extra Islands and the unnecessary areas. In General, we should not make territorial precedents”
(From the statement of the speaker of the state Duma Gennady Seleznev at the International forum on combating terrorism, March 27, 2002).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 13/16
2012
“This is our land, the root! Not an inch will not give up, absolutely. From what it suddenly? The one who gave at least a small patch of their land, as a rule, provoked the storm. It all ends with the collapse of the state. This is a very dangerous thing”
(From the statement of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev to journalists during a visit to Kunashir island, July 4, 2012).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 14/16
2016
“We believe that we have no territorial problems. This is Japan thinks that it has territorial problems with Russia. We are willing on this account to talk”
(From the statement of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to journalists during a press conference after a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, December 18, 2016).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 15/16
2018
“So here’s the idea I came up with: let’s make a peace Treaty — not now, but before the end of the year, without preconditions… And then on the basis of this peace Treaty as friends will continue to resolve all disputed issues. Of course, it seems to me that this would make us the solution to all problems with which we cannot cope for 70 years”
(From the statement of Vladimir Putin at the Eastern economic forum 12 September 2018).
The photo archive of “Kommersant” 16/16
2018
“These days we have seen a very large number of different arguments, of political speculation that, say, some separate deal to transfer Islands and so on. This is not so. The adoption of the 1956 Declaration does not mean automatic transfer of two Islands to Japan”
(Statements made by Dmitry Peskov, press Secretary of the President of the Russian channel “Russia-1” after the meeting of Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe in Singapore on 18 November 2018).