Abe vows to conclude peace treaty with Russia

February 7, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his determination Wednesday to conclude a peace treaty with Russia after settling a territorial dispute between the two countries.

"I and Russian President Vladimir Putin will put an end" to the issue, Abe said in a speech at an annual event in Tokyo seeking the return of four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan.

The prime minister said he aims to visit Russia in May to hold talks with Putin if he wins the Russian presidential election in March.

Abe said the Japanese government will help aging former Japanese residents of the islands visit them more easily and accelerate work on proposed joint economic activities on the islands with Russia.

The prime minister said he is resolved to make steady progress, while taking the earnest hope of people seeking the return of the islands to his heart.

The islands were seized from Japan by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II. The territorial dispute prevents Japan and Russia from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities.

The Japanese and Russian governments agreed at a vice-ministerial meeting on Tuesday to accelerate working-level talks on proposed joint economic activities on four Russian-held islands at the center of the two countries' longstanding territorial dispute.

At the meeting in Tokyo, the two sides shared updates about the ongoing work to draw up joint projects on tourism, wind power, aquaculture, greenhouse vegetable production and waste reduction by around the spring.

The two governments agreed to spur the work by holding a working-level session of bureau-chief-level officials at an early date.

Both sides are working to reach an accord on the matter at a planned meeting in Russia in May between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We'll energetically promote the work," Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori told reporters after the day's meeting.

From the Russian side, Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov attended the Tokyo meeting.

The two sides also agreed to arrange a visit by former Japanese islanders by air to their families' graves on the islands this year, again. Such a visit was realized for the first time last year.

Meanwhile, the Japanese side protested Russia's decision to make an airport on Etorofu, one of the four disputed islands, available for both military and civilian use.

The four islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II. The territorial row has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty that formally ends their wartime hostilities. Jiji Press