Japan protests Russian deputy premier`s island visit

TOKYO, Dec. 13 Kyodo -
Japan lodged a protest Monday against Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor
Shuvalov's visit to two of the four Russian-held islands north of Hokkaido
claimed by Japan, with Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressing his strong
disappointment over the issue.
''It is very regrettable'' that Shuvalov visited the disputed islands, Kan told
reporters in the evening.
Shuvalov toured Kunashiri and Etorofu islands to inspect infrastructure earlier
in the day, Itar-Tass news agency reported, despite Tokyo's criticism of
President Dmitry Medvedev's previous visit to Kunashiri -- the first by a
Russian leader to any of the islands the Soviet Union seized at the end of
World War II.
Kan said that Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Kenichiro Sasae has already
conveyed Tokyo's protest over the visit to Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail
Bely.
An official at Japan's Foreign Ministry said the government feels disappointed
that Shuvalov visited the disputed islands, although Russia has said it would
like to discuss the territorial dispute in a quiet atmosphere.
Medvedev's visit on Nov. 1 made him the first leader from Russia or the former
Soviet Union to set foot on any of the islands, which are called the Northern
Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
Moscow has maintained that it sees no problem with the president visiting
Russian territory, while Japan said it would harm ties between the two nations
given that it seeks their return.
This time, Shuvalov was instructed by Medvedev to visit the islands, the first
deputy prime minister was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency.
On Monday, Shuvalov attended a meeting at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, capital of the
Russian Far East province of Sakhalin, and had discussions about how to develop
small and medium-size enterprises in the region and ensure labor power there,
and then visited Kunashiri and Etorofu, according to local media.
They also reported that Shuvalov, after touring the two islands, showed a
willingness to secure funds for further infrastructure improvement on the
islands.
Such moves suggest that Russia is seriously aiming to develop the area by
itself as Russia has promoted improvement of ports and airports in the area
based on the 2007-2015 infrastructure development projects for the chain of
Kuril Islands, some commentators say.
The territorial dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan as
well as the Habomai islet group has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a
postwar peace treaty.
==Kyodo