TOKYO, September 5. /TASS/. The government of Japan remains committed to resolving the issue of sovereignty over the "four northern islands" (Japan’s name for Southern Kurils) and signing a peace treaty with Russia, the country’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference.
"The government of Japan will maintain its stance aimed at resolving the issue of sovereignty over the four northern islands and signing a peace treaty," he said.
At the same time, Hayashi admitted that the relations between Tokyo and Moscow are "in an extremely difficult state" at this point over the events in Ukraine.
The chief cabinet secretary also promised that Japan will continue to persuade Russia to resume visa-free travel to Southern Kurils for former residents of these territories, willing to visit their ancestors’ graves.
Moscow and Tokyo have been in negotiations on a peace treaty based on the outcome of World War II since the mid-20th century. The main obstacle to such an accord remains the disagreement over rights to the southern part of the Kuril Islands. After the war, the entire archipelago was incorporated into the Soviet Union, but Japan disputes the ownership of the islands of Iturup, Kunashir and Shikotan, as well as several small uninhabited islands. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stressed that Russia’s sovereignty over these islands is based on a firm legal foundation and is indisputable.
After Tokyo imposed anti-Russian sanctions over the situation in Ukraine, Russia halted consultations with Japan on a peace treaty. Moscow also withdrew from negotiations with Tokyo on the establishment of joint economic activities in the southern Kuril Islands and blocked the extension of Japan’s status as a sectoral dialogue partner of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).
Later, Russia terminated its agreement with Japan on facilitated procedures for visits to the Kurils by Japanese citizens — former residents of these islands — as well as an agreement on the procedure for mutual trips. The Russian Foreign Ministry then stressed that this measure did not affect the Soviet-Japanese agreement on mutual visa-free visits to graves of July 2, 1986.