View stands that Russian-held islands are Japanese territory: Maehara

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TOKYO, Feb. 10 Kyodo -
Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Thursday that despite Russia's
efforts to boost its military presence on disputed islands it holds off
Hokkaido, they remain Japanese territory from the standpoint of international
law.
''No matter how many VIPs go or how much they strengthen their military
presence, the view based on international law remains quite unchanged that (the
islands) are originally Japanese territory,'' Maehara said at a news
conference.
Maehara, who is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in
Moscow on Friday, was referring to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's order
Wednesday to consolidate his country's military presence on the Kuril Islands,
which include the disputed islands claimed by Japan.
''The Russian occupation has no basis in international law,'' Maehara added.
His comments came after Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander
Lukashevich on Wednesday told a news conference that ''extremely unfriendly
remarks by the Japanese leadership have considerably damaged'' the atmosphere
for Japan-Russia dialogue over the dispute.
The Russian official's comment was apparently directed at remarks by Japanese
Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who said this week that Medvedev's visit to one of
the four Russian-held islands last November was an ''unforgivable outrage.''
Later Thursday, Kan voiced hope that the foreign ministers will be ''strongly
motivated'' to turn their talks on Friday into a fruitful meeting.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a separate news conference that
Japan will keep an eye on Russian military moves near its territory because
they have been more active than before.
Meanwhile, the Russian official served notice to Japan ahead of the meeting
between the foreign ministers, saying, ''I hope the Japanese side changes its
stance toward Russia fundamentally.''
A Japanese government source said Thursday that during Maehara's upcoming
visit, Japan and Russia are expected to agree to hold a bilateral roundtable on
resolving economic issues between the two countries.
The meeting is aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the two
countries at a time when their relations remain soured over the disputed
islands following the Russian leader's visit to Kunashiri Island.
Tokyo and Moscow have been at odds over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri and
Shikotan as well as the Habomai islet group, which were seized by the Soviet
Union following Japan's surrender in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945.
The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a postwar
peace treaty. The islands are known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in
Russia as the Southern Kurils.
==Kyodo
2011-02-10 23:18:56