Japan, Russia Agree On Development Of Bilateral Ties Through Dialogue - Government

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have held a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly during which both sides agreed to intensify dialogue as a way to push for greater development of bilateral relations, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Friday.

The meeting of the top diplomats was the first in almost 20 months amid the pandemic. It lasted for 30 minutes, according to Kato.

"The ministers discussed the issues of signing a peace treaty, joint economic activities on the four northern islands, exchanges and business on the four northern islands, humanitarian exchanges, economy, security and other issues of bilateral relations and the international situation. They came to a common conclusion to use various opportunities and continue discussions for the development of Japanese-Russian relations in general in the future," Kato told a press conference.

In early September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at the Eastern Economic Forum that Moscow will introduce an unprecedented 10-year tax relief for businesses based in the Southern Kuril Islands, which Japan considers its own Northern Territories.

On Thursday, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that during the meeting with Lavrov, Motegi objected to the initiative of establishing a special economic zone in the Kurils and inviting foreign investors, as this would require the application of Russian legislation on the disputed islands.

However, neither the official statement of the Japanese Foreign Ministry on the meeting nor Kato's statements confirmed the report.

Tokyo lays claims to the four disputed islands in Russia's Kuril Island chain, citing the 1855 bilateral treaty on trade and borders. Russia insists that its sovereignty over the islands, which became part of the Soviet Union after World War 2, is undisputed.

In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration in which Moscow agreed to consider the possibility of transferring the Habomai and Shikotan islands should a peace treaty be signed. However, negotiations have since stalled.