By the Associated Press
Russia’s top diplomat on Monday threw cold water on Tokyo’s hopes for a quick return of disputed islands in the Pacific, warning Japan that it must recognize them as part of Russia’s territory as a starting point for talks.
The stern statement from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that followed the talks with Japanese counterpart Taro Kono appeared to reflect Moscow’s effort to temper Japanese expectations of an imminent deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, welcomes Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono for the talks in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
It sets a tough stage for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s trip to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. Abe has recently voiced hope that this year will mark a breakthrough in solving the territorial dispute and spoke about an imminent change of the islands’ status — remarks that angered Moscow.
“Russia’s sovereignty over the islands isn’t subject to dispute. They are part of the territory of the Russian Federation,” Lavrov told reporters, noting that the U.N. Charter supports Moscow’s ownership of them.
Speaking at the start of the talks, Kono emphasized that the two countries need to solve the territorial problem to set stage for expanding their economic and other ties.
Reflecting sharp differences at the talks, the Japanese delegation has scheduled a separate briefing later in the day.
The Soviet Union took the four southernmost Kuril Islands during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept both countries from signing a peace treaty.
Putin and Abe agreed in November to accelerate negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return two of the islands to Japan, but Lavrov’s somber tone indicated that Japanese expectations of a quick breakthrough were premature.
Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Japanese ambassador to protest recent statements from Tokyo, saying they represented an apparent attempt to “artificially incite the atmosphere regarding the peace treaty problem and try to enforce its own scenario of settling the issue.”
Lavrov struck a similar chord as he sat down for talks with Kono on Monday, saying that “once again, I would like to ask our Japanese colleagues to strictly follow agreements by our leaders, both regarding the format of talks and, naturally, the substance of work on peace treaty.”
Speaking after the talks, he emphasized that Moscow saw recent statements from Abe as unacceptable.
The Russian diplomat added that he also drew Kono’s attention to a recent statement by Abe’s political aide suggesting that solving the territorial dispute with Russia would help efforts by Japan and the U.S. to deter China.
Lavrov called the statement “outrageous,” adding that it raised new questions about the independence of Japanese foreign policy.
He noted that the Soviet Union had made its proposal to return the two islands to Japan before Tokyo struck a military alliance with the U.S., and the American military presence in Japan has changed the situation.
Lavrov noted that Russia is concerned about the U.S. military buildup in the region, including the deployment of U.S. missile defense components that he said create security risks for Russia and China.
On a positive note, he added that Russia and Japan agree on the need to improve ties, but emphasized that “we are at the very start of the road” and noted that “major differences have remained.”