Japan-Russia peace treaty unlikely in short period: Putin

November 12, 2017

Da Nang, Vietnam- It will be difficult for Russia and Japan to conclude a peace treaty in a short period of time, such as one year, because the Japan-US security treaty needs to be taken into account, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated Saturday.

Discussions should be held on Japan's obligations for its partner in the security field, including what Japan can do and cannot do, Putin said at a press conference in Da Nang, central Vietnam, apparently in reference to the Japan-US treaty.

He thus suggested that discussions over the Japan-US security treaty will affect future negotiations between Russia and Japan.

Putin held a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Vietnamese city on Friday.

Putin has repeatedly expressed his view that the Japan-US treaty could be a hurdle to Russia-Japan talks on their territorial dispute and the conclusion of a bilateral peace treaty.

The dispute over four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands, which were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II, has been preventing Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities.

At the press conference, Putin highly rated progress made in negotiations between Russia and Japan on joint economic activities on or around the islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, and the launch of air travel to the islands by former Japanese residents for visits to their family graves there. Jiji Press