Japan to continue to develop relations with Russia in many areas - PM

TOKYO, September 11. /TASS/. Tokyo will continue to develop relations with Moscow on a wide range of areas, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday at a conference on the development of the new Japanese government. "[Japan’s] government will continue to develop relations with Russia on a wide range of areas in the form that responds to our national interests. We are strongly determined to continue close negotiations based on our main position - the settlement of the territorial issue followed by the signing of the peace treaty," Abe said. Speaking about the appointment of the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, who previously served as Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, Abe expressed hope that in dialogue with Moscow Motegi will be able to use his rich negotiation experience. "Minister Motegi made a strong showing at trade negotiations with the US, developing a powerful reputation. I expect that he will use this experience at negotiations with Russia as well," he highlighted. Before that time, Motegi served as Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry and headed the Japanese delegation at trade negotiations with the US. Toshimitsu Motegi replaced Taro Kono as Minister of Foreign Affairs. On Wednesday, Abe carried out the widest reshuffling in the government since 2012. In total, he replaced the heads of 13 out of 19 ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Minister of Finance Taro Aso and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga preserved their positions. They have always been in Abe’s government since his coming to power in December 2012. Moscow and Tokyo have negotiated for decades to develop a peace treaty on the World War II results. The main obstacle was the sovereignty of the southern part of the Kuril Islands. After the end of the war the whole archipelago became part of the Soviet Union, but Tokyo disputes the sovereignty of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the group of uninhabited islands it calls Habomai. The Japanese side repeatedly voiced protests against Russia’s activity in the southern part of the Kuril Islands, which Moscow consistently rejected. The Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly highlighted that Russian sovereignty over them, which has the corresponding international legal framework, is undisputable. Read more