Aso, Medvedev eye `unconventional` approach to resolve territorial row

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia, Feb. 18 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed
Wednesday to intensify efforts to resolve the decades-old territorial row
between their countries over four Russian-administered islands off Hokkaido by
taking a ''creative and unconventional approach.''
The two leaders also agreed that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Japan
in May, Aso said after the summit talks in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the capital of
Sakhalin Island. Putin's visit to Japan was supposed to take place early this
year but has been put on hold.
The summit talks between Aso and Medvedev were held ahead of an opening
ceremony for Russia's first production plant for Japan-bound liquefied natural
gas, part of the ''Sakhalin-2'' oil and natural gas development project that
involves private-sector Japanese companies.
Aso became the first Japanese premier since the end of World War II to set foot
on the island. Expressing his gratitude to Aso, Medvedev told him that Russia
is ready to expand reciprocal relations between the two countries.
On the recently highlighted issue of Russia's requirement for disembarkation
cards for Japanese to enter the disputed islands, the two sides agreed to
achieve a ''constructive and amicable resolution'' at an early stage, according
to a Japanese government official who briefed reporters on the meeting.
On the territorial row, the two leaders agreed to ''accelerate our efforts in
seeking a creative and unconventional approach toward solving the sovereignty
dispute by our generation,'' Aso said.
''The issue concerns everything between Japan and Russia and needs a political
decision (to resolve it),'' Aso said. ''No progress can be expected if their
side sticks to seeking (control of) two islands, while our side continues to
demand (all) the four.''
But Aso did not elaborate on specifically what the ''new approach'' means,
leaving prospects for an immediate breakthrough unclear.
According to the Japanese government official, the ''creative approach'' was
proposed by the Russian side, but tangible steps toward resolving the dispute
remain to be seen.
Japan has been calling for control of all four islands -- Kunashiri, Etorofu,
Shikotan and the Habomai islet group -- known in Japan as the Northern
Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kurils.
The territorial row has kept the two countries from signing a post-World War II
peace treaty.
In Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told a press
conference, ''I have not been informed of the details (of the talks), but I
suppose he made the remarks out of strong hopes that the issue can be resolved
by changing their attitudes.''
Medvedev told Aso during the talks that he believes it is an issue that can be
resolved like any other problem in any part of the world, according to the
Japanese government official.
Japan has placed high hopes on the talks as Medvedev said in his first meeting
with Aso in Lima last November that he has no intention of leaving the dispute
to future generations to resolve and that it can be settled if leaders have the
determination to do so.
But the two countries have often come up with various approaches and proposals
for settling the issue in the past and negotiations have made little headway,
in stark contrast to the rapid progress in economic cooperation in the Far East
region.
Seeking to break the deadlock, Aso, when he was foreign minister in 2006,
suggested that three out of the four islands be returned, but later retracted
the remark. A plan to split the total space of the islands by half also
surfaced that year, but both plans sparked a public backlash.
On the issue of disembarkation cards, Aso and Medvedev agreed that the
countries will work toward early resumption of Japan's humanitarian aid
delivery to the disputed islands, following its halt in late January.
Last month, Russia demanded that Japanese government officials submit
disembarkation cards when bringing in medical and other humanitarian aid to
island residents, drawing renewed attention to the sovereignty dispute and
threatening a visa-free exchange program between Japanese citizens and Russian
residents of the islands.
Following the talks, Aso and Medvedev attended the opening ceremony of the
project held at the LNG plant in Prigorodnoye, southern Sakhalin.
Aso told reporters, ''I believe it (the project) has helped Japan to take a
significant step toward building a strategic relationship with Russia in the
Asia-Pacific region.''
Under the project in which Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi
Corp. are taking part, Japan would be able to ensure about 7 percent of the
nation's annual LNG imports.
In an attempt to reduce its heavy dependency on LNG exports to Europe, Moscow
is hoping to increase its export ratio to Asia.
Aso and Medvedev also agreed to hold bilateral talks on such occasions as the
Group of 20 financial summit meeting in London in April and the Group of Eight
summit in Italy in July.
Aso also conveyed his intention to take part in an international conference on
Afghanistan to be hosted by Russia in March.
He returned to Tokyo on Wednesday evening.
==Kyodo