Japan, Russia remain apart but to study cooperation on isles+

Japan, Russia remain apart but to study cooperation on isles+

MOSCOW, Feb. 11 Kyodo -
Japan and Russia remained apart Friday over a decades-old territorial row, over
which bilateral ties recently worsened to the lowest point in years, but vowed
to seek a settlement of the dispute by enhancing bilateral cooperation in the
region and other areas.
Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a joint press conference with his
Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow that the two countries will set up
a high-level taskforce to study the possibility of Tokyo taking part in joint
economic development projects on the disputed islands.
Maehara repeated Japan's claim to the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido,
saying they are an integral part of Japan ''in terms of history and
international law.''
But he said the two countries agreed to explore ways to find a ''mutually
acceptable'' solution over the dispute ''in quiet circumstances'' based on the
past bilateral agreements.
Maehara and Lavrov also agreed Japan and Russia will cooperate to deal with
North Korea's uranium enrichment activities and resume the stalled six-nation
talks on its denuclearization also involving China, South Korea and the United
States, a Japanese government official said.
During their meeting, which lasted for nearly two hours, Lavrov indirectly
accused Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan of describing Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev's visit last November to one of the four disputed islands off
Hokkaido as an ''unforgivable outrage.''
Lavrov said such remarks ''ruined the atmosphere'' for the two countries to
tackle the territorial row and were ''useless'' in moving forward on the
dispute.
Lavrov also warned the Japanese government against siding with ''extremists,''
alluding to a recent incident in which right-wing Japanese activists allegedly
insulted the Russian flag outside the Russian Embassy in Tokyo.
Maehara said the Japanese police have been looking into the case and that those
responsible will be punished in accordance with the Penal Code.
Lavrov suggested establishing a panel of history experts to help resolve the
territorial spat, but Maehara expressed a negative view toward the idea, saying
past efforts by the two countries' experts did not bear much fruit.
As for a plan to implementing joint economic development projects on the
disputed islands, which has been suggested by Russia, Maehara said such
cooperation must be conducted ''in a way that would not infringe upon Japan's
sovereignty claim'' over the islands.
The Japanese minister was also negative about investment by third countries
such as China and South Korea on the islands as it would bolster Russia's
effective rule there and ''complicate the issue.''
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.
Since Medvedev visited Kunashiri last November as the first leader of Russia or
Soviet Union to do so, several high-ranking Russian officials have traveled to
the disputed islands, irking Japan.
The territorial row 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.
Later Friday, Maehara also met with Industry and Trade Minister Viktor
Khristenko in a meeting of the Japan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on
Trade and Economic Issues to discuss economic cooperation projects in Russia's
Far East and Siberia.
Maehara and Khristenko are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on
the launch of a bilateral round table on discussing and resolving economic
issues.
Maehara, who arrived in Russia on Friday morning, is scheduled to hold talks
with Sergei Naryshkin, chief of staff of the Russian Presidential Executive
Office, on Saturday before leaving for Japan.
==Kyodo
2011-02-11 23:03:44


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