Tokyo denial of entry visas to people from S Kuriles unacceptable.

10/11 Tass 276

MOSCOW, November 10 (Itar-Tass) - Moscow regards as unacceptable Tokyo'
s refusal to issue entry visas to business people from the South Kuriles
who were to have taken part in the Sakhalin region's presentation, the
Russian Foreign Ministry noted on Tuesday.

"We expect that Tokyo will sort out the situation thoroughly and with
a sense of responsibility and will take measures that would pave the way
for full-scale cooperation on the South Kuriles as an important part of
exchanges between the Sakhalin region and Japan and Russian-Japanese
relations as a whole," the ministry said.
"In accordance with the agreement between the Administration of Russia'
s Sakhalin region and a number of Japanese organizations, the presentation
of the Sakhalin region was planned in Tokyo on November 17-18," the
ministry noted.
"It was expected the function would enable familiarization of the
Japanese official, business, political and public circles with the region'
s potential and would promote the development of mutually advantageous
cooperation, including commercial and economic, of the region with
Japanese partners."
When the presentation was being prepared, the Japanese side notified
the regional administration of its actual refusal to issue entry visas to
Russian citizens, representatives of the business circles, residing in the
municipal entities - the South Kuril municipal district and the Kuril
district who were going to participate in the presentation.
"The Japanese side also made it plain that they could not enter the
country visa-free either, in the framework of procedures envisaged by the
intergovernmental arrangements for Russian citizens residing on the South
Kuriles," the ministry stressed. "It was also indicated that Russian
citizens who have businesses in the above-mentioned area without being
registered there are not welcome for the presentation in Japan either."
"To explain its approach, the Japanese side says it is difficult to
have any economic ties wit the South Kuriles as long as the Russian side
continues declaring they are Russian territory," the ministry noted.
"Statements were also made that some enterprises functioning on the
South Kuriles 'take a tough stand on the problem of a peace treaty' and
this, allegedly 'complicates the situation' regarding the problem," the
ministry said.
In this connection, the ministry notes, "the Japanese side was
informed along the long the lines of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the
Sakhalin region's administration that Tokyo's stand is essentially
unacceptable, as it calls in question Russia's sovereignty over the South
Kuriles and also interferes with the advance of ties between the South
Kuriles and Japan, including full-scale economic interaction."
"The approach the Japanese side chose in this case runs counter to the
statements of the Japanese leadership's intention for all-round
development of relations with Russia as a partner in the Asia-Pacific
region," the ministry notes.
"In view of the stand of the Japanese side, the Russian side decided
to put off the presentation of the Sakhalin region in Japan," the ministry
declared.
-0-saf/usn