TOKYO, December 19. /TASS/. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono plans to actively work with Russia within the framework of the new Russian-Japanese mechanism to sign a peace treaty.
"I would like to actively work within the framework of the new mechanism agreed on by our countries’ leaders," he told reporters at a news conference at the Japanese National Press Club on Wednesday. He stressed ahead of the news conference that he would continue to avoid answering questions related to the negotiation process to sign a peace treaty with Russia. "Since the negotiations on resolving the territorial issue and signing a peace treaty have now entered the accelerated phase, I intend to avoid answering questions on the issue so as not to have a negative impact on this negotiation process," he explained.
Over the past few weeks, the minister has repeatedly refrained from answering questions related to Japanese-Russian negotiations on a peace treaty, for which he was strongly criticized by journalists who called such approach inappropriate. Last week, Kono apologized but asked reporters and the public to show understanding concerning the Japanese government’s stance.
Local media outlets earlier reported that the Japanese foreign minister’s visit to Russia, which was due to take place before the end of this year, could be put off until next January. It was noted that the coordination of the timetable for negotiations on a peace treaty between Japan and Russia had encountered certain difficulties.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Moscow is scheduled for late January 2019. According to Japanese media, it can take place on January 21.
New negotiation mechanism
Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in early December that the parties had agreed on a new mechanism for resolving the peace treaty issue. Putin noted that the two leaders would appoint special envoys, while work on the issue would be supervised by the top diplomats.
The press service of the Japanese Foreign Ministry later informed TASS that Russian and Japanese Deputy Foreign Ministers Igor Morgulov and Takeo Mori had become the two leaders’ envoys at the talks.
Putin and Abe agreed at a meeting in Singapore on November 14 to intensify Russian-Japanese negotiations on signing a peace treaty based on the Joint Declaration of October 19, 1956.
Russia and Japan have been in talks to sign a peace treaty since the mid-20th century. The main stumbling block to achieving this is the ownership of the Southern Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II, the Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan Islands and the Habomai Islands is being challenged by Japan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated on numerous occasions that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands is beyond doubt.
In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ceasing the state of war and restoring diplomatic and consular relations, but no peace treaty has been signed so far.