Half of Russians say disputed isles will stay part of Russia

May 23, 2019

Tokyo--A poll has found that 53 pct of Russians think that the four Russian-controlled northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Japan are and will remain part of Russia, the Japanese Foreign Ministry has said.

The percentage was unchanged from the previous survey in 2016, according to the results of the poll the ministry commissioned a private research company to carry out in Russia.

The proportion of respondents who said Japan and Russia should reach an agreement on the territorial issue stood at 41 pct, while only 2 pct said the islands should be returned to Japan.

Tokyo claims that the islands off the coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II. The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities.

According to the poll, 59 pct said they know that Japan and Russia have yet to conclude a peace treaty even though more than 70 years have passed since the end of the war, up 23 percentage points from the previous survey.

Those who know that the two countries are in talks on the territorial dispute accounted for 75 pct, up 18 points.

The survey also found that 18 pct are aware of an eight-point economic cooperation plan Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016.

Of the respondents, 71 pct said Japan and Russia are in a friendly relationship and 45 pct said Japan is a reliable friend of Russia, both down seven points.

The poll, conducted in February, covered 3,600 people aged 18 or older. Jiji Press