Russia, Japan Foreign Ministers meet to discuss WWII island disputes
The territorial dispute is related to a strategically located volcanic archipelago, which Russia captured from Japan in the final days of World War II.
- World News
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Russia and Japan's foreign ministers met on Thursday to discuss the territorial dispute between the two nations. The territorial dispute is related to a strategically located volcanic archipelago, which Russia captured from Japan in the final days of World War II and has maintained a military presence in the region. Russia was part of the allied forces during World War II, while Japan was supporting the Axis powers led by Rome and Berlin.
The volcanic archipelago located north of Japan's Hokkaido is called Kuril islands and consists of 56 small islands. Japan refers to the islands as its Northern Territories and Japanese foreign minister Toshimutsu Motegi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov third time in four months to discuss the dispute. Japan's foreign ministry spokesperson said that the meeting lasted for about five hours and the focus was on the peace treaty.
Japan and Russia have not yet signed a formal peace treaty after the end of World War II because of the disputed territory between them. The islands' current population is around 20,000 people and is officially governed by Russia. The talks between Japan and Russia were constructive and substantial, said Sergei Lavrov after meeting his Japanese counterparts. The two ministers exchanged views on how to proceed with the consultations, including the negotiations on the peace treaty.
The two Foreign Ministers would meet again in February 2020 on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin have also met many times to discuss the issue. Putin praised Tokyo for building trusting relations and said that the most important thing is to find a long-lasting solution. The islands are claimed by both the nations and the first Treaty of Commerce, Navigation and Delimitation were signed between them in 1855. After the 1904 Russo-Japanese War, Japan secured fishing rights in Russian waters as part of the agreement.
Published By : Vishal Tiwari
Published On: 20 December 2019 at 15:17 IST