ID :
158347
Fri, 01/28/2011 - 17:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/158347
The shortlink copeid
Japan negative about 3rd country investment in isles off Hokkaido
TOKYO, Jan. 28 Kyodo -Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara indicated Friday that Japan is negative about Russia's idea of drawing investment from third countries to four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, which have been claimed by Japan.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed making the disputed islands a bilateral free trade zone and Deputy Minister of Regional Development Maxim Travnikov said Thursday that Moscow ''sees no obstacles to'' attracting investment to the isles from countries other than Japan, such as South Korea.
Maehara said at a news conference in Tokyo, ''Generally speaking, we cannot accept any proposal that could contravene our legal position that the four islands are an integral part of Japanese territory.''
The Japanese minister also said he is eager to discuss with Russian officials how to enhance bilateral cooperation during his planned visit to Moscow in February, saying bilateral relations cover issues other than a decades-old territorial row.
The islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group off Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido were seized by the Soviet Union following Japan's surrender in World War II. They are known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kurils.
The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a postwar peace treaty.
Medvedev's visit to Kunashiri last November put a strain on bilateral relations. He became the first leader from Russia or the Soviet Union to set foot on any of the four disputed islands.
At a Moscow press conference, Travnikov criticized Tokyo for refusing to talk about bilateral economic cooperation on the disputed islands and said Russian Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin plans to visit the isles in the near future.
The Japanese government says it has not officially received any specific proposal from Russia on making the four islands a free trade zone.
The deputy minister also complained about slow progress in regional development projects Moscow proposed to Tokyo during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan in May 2009, saying investments have been made only in three out of 182 projects.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed making the disputed islands a bilateral free trade zone and Deputy Minister of Regional Development Maxim Travnikov said Thursday that Moscow ''sees no obstacles to'' attracting investment to the isles from countries other than Japan, such as South Korea.
Maehara said at a news conference in Tokyo, ''Generally speaking, we cannot accept any proposal that could contravene our legal position that the four islands are an integral part of Japanese territory.''
The Japanese minister also said he is eager to discuss with Russian officials how to enhance bilateral cooperation during his planned visit to Moscow in February, saying bilateral relations cover issues other than a decades-old territorial row.
The islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group off Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido were seized by the Soviet Union following Japan's surrender in World War II. They are known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kurils.
The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a postwar peace treaty.
Medvedev's visit to Kunashiri last November put a strain on bilateral relations. He became the first leader from Russia or the Soviet Union to set foot on any of the four disputed islands.
At a Moscow press conference, Travnikov criticized Tokyo for refusing to talk about bilateral economic cooperation on the disputed islands and said Russian Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin plans to visit the isles in the near future.
The Japanese government says it has not officially received any specific proposal from Russia on making the four islands a free trade zone.
The deputy minister also complained about slow progress in regional development projects Moscow proposed to Tokyo during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan in May 2009, saying investments have been made only in three out of 182 projects.
