Peace Treaty with Japan Necessary for Russia’s Growth: Abe

May 27, 2018

St. Petersburg, Russia- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday underlined the need for Russia to conclude a peace treaty with Japan for its further economic development.

A peace treaty is necessary for realizing a big vision, such as gas field development in the Arctic Ocean, he said in a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, being held in the second-biggest Russian city for a three-day run through Saturday.

A longstanding territorial row over four northwestern Pacific islands has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their World War II hostilities. The islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of war.

Abe said that the route linking the Arctic Ocean and the Sea of Japan via the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean would become an ocean highway if Japan and Russia can make their relations permanently stable.

He also said that the four islands at the center of the territorial row would have the potential to become a distribution hub and convert into a symbol of cooperation between the two countries.

Japan's eight-point economic cooperation initiative proposed to Russia, including energy and medicine, and key policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin have in common, Abe added, calling on Putin to work courageously together to overcome all of the challenges facing the two countries.

Abe said that Japan would be able to consider establishing a cooperative relationship with North Korea from a long-term perspective if the reclusive country denuclearizes itself and returns Japanese nationals it abducted decades ago.

For this, cooperation between Japan and Russia is important, Abe stressed.

Abe is the first Japanese prime minister to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Abe, who kicked of a tour of Russia on Thursday, is set to meet with Putin on Saturday. Jiji Press