. The government of Japan abstained from answering a parliamentary inquiry about whether the "Northern territories" as in Japan called the island of Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai, "primordially Japanese territory" in order not to harm the negotiations with Russia. MP asked about the Position of the government concerning territorial ownership of the Islands because in Parliament, Prime Minister and the foreign Minister avoided answering the question. Up until now, the traditional claim was that they " are the native territory of Japan ". The annual national Congress for the return of "Northern territories" was held in Tokyo on 7 February with the participation of the Prime Minister, the foreign Minister and other members of the Cabinet. This time Congress began to use the traditional phrase "illegal occupation" by Russia of these Islands, according to one version, with an eye on improving relations between the 2 countries and which has become more intense negotiations on the peace Treaty problem. "Day of Northern territories" notes on the Japanese Islands on the anniversary of signing with Russia the Treaty of Shimoda of 1855, in which Japan ceded the island of Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai Islands, the return of which it demands from Russia in the postwar period. Relations between Russia and Japan for many years overshadows the lack of a peace Treaty. 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 Soviet Union 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 the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to its results, Abe said that the parties 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 and then a peace Treaty. <span style="color:darkgray