In Japan, assessed the meeting between Putin and Abe

. Ended yesterday in the capital of Russia conversations of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, the Secretary General of the Japanese government Yoshihide Suga called " a wonderful start of Japanese-Russian relations in 2019 ".

"at the meeting, the leaders of Japan and Russia were instructed to promote dialogue on the peace Treaty at the level of Ministers of foreign Affairs and special envoy, had a Frank discussion about the prospects of bilateral cooperation in various sectors. In General, This is a great start of Japanese-Russian relations in 2019 ", - he said at a press conference in Tokyo.

Suga also said that the cornerstone - resistant negotiation and " This is not an easy task to get the result from the negotiations."

Relations between Russia and Japan for many years overshadows the lack of a peace Treaty. Japan claims the Islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai, indicating bilateral Treatise on trade and borders of 1855. In 1956 the USSR and Japan signed a joint Declaration in which Moscow has agreed to take steps to transfer to Japan the Habomai and Shikotan after the conclusion of a peace Treaty, and the fate of Kunashir and Iturup are not affected. The USSR hoped that the Joint Declaration will put an end to the dispute, Japan believed the document only part of the settlement, without abandoning claims to all the Islands. Subsequent dialogues to nothing brought, peace Treaty at the end of the Second world war and was not signed.

There is personal opinion that serious opposition arose from the US, which frightened that if Japan agrees to transfer only 2 of the 4 Islands, It will affect the process of the return of Okinawa under Japanese sovereignty (Agreement on return of Okinawa to Japan entered into force in 1972). The position of the capital of Russia lies in the fact that the Islands became part of the USSR according to the results of the Second world war and the Russian sovereignty over them cannot be questioned.

in Singapore on 14 November passed soveshanie at the highest level between Putin and Abe. Following the meeting, the Japanese Prime Minister said that the sides agreed to accelerate negotiations on a peace Treaty on the basis of mutual Soviet-Japanese Declaration of 1956. This is a significant concession from Japan, because up until now, its official position was to demand the return of the 4 Islands of Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan, Habomai and only after the conclusion of a peace Treaty.



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sections: Politics