Russia's senior defense official to visit disputed islands+

MOSCOW, Jan. 14 Kyodo -
Russia's deputy defense minister, Col. Gen. Dmitri Bulgakov, will visit the
Russian-controlled Etorofu and Kunashiri islands off Hokkaido from next
Wednesday, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said Friday.
The purpose of the visit through Jan. 23 is to survey Russian military units
stationed on the islands, which are claimed by Japan along with two other
islands. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov currently has no plans to make a
similar visit, the official added.
In November, President Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian leader to visit
Kunashiri, and First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov followed suit in
December by visiting Etorofu and Kunashiri.
The successive visits by Russian ministers underscore the country's desire to
retain control of the disputed islands and serve notice of this to Japan, which
is calling for the islands' return.
Sakhalin Gov. Alexander Khoroshavin said in December that representatives of
four ministries, including the Defense Ministry, plan to visit the disputed
territory early this year.
The islands -- Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group -- are
known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern
Kurils. They were seized by the Soviet Red Army shortly after Japan's surrender
in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945.
==Kyodo
2011-01-14 23:20:15