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Russia-Japan dispute over Kuril Islands

Russia will soon announce new benefits for foreign partners in Kuril Islands — Lavrov

The minister confirmed that there are prerequisites for joint economic and investment cooperation with Japan in the Kuril Islands, noting that Russia had already made such proposal to its Japanese colleagues several years ago

© Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/TASS

MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Moscow soon intends to announce new benefits for foreign partners for doing business in the Kuril Islands, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Wednesday.

"Soon, new benefits will be announced for foreign partners who will be ready to work with us in this part of the Russian Federation," he said, speaking to the students and faculty of MGIMO University.

The minister confirmed that there are prerequisites for joint economic and investment cooperation with Japan in the Kuril Islands, noting that Russia had already made such proposal to its Japanese colleagues several years ago. He recalled that Japan after some time accepted this proposal, but decided to limit the areas of cooperation to rather simple topics that have no strategic importance.

"We invite them to any activity sphere on the islands. This has been confirmed more than once in written contacts with our Japanese colleagues. But they want to agree that this activity is carried out not on the basis of the legislation that exists in Russia, but on the basis of a certain treaty that would have a different jurisdiction than the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation," the minister said.

According to Lavrov, some hybrid laws would operate in this jurisdiction. "But our constitution does not allow this," he added.

"We, of course, regret that our Japanese friends are missing the opportunity for joint mutually beneficial investments. But we ourselves have good plans," the minister stressed.

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Dispute over Kuril Islands

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