Kremlin Says Peace Talks With Japan A 'drawn Out' Process
Fakhir Rizvi Published January 21, 2019 | 08:16 PM
The Kremlin on Monday dampened expectations of any breakthrough at the upcoming summit between the leaders of Russia and Japan, saying striking a peace deal would be a very "drawn out" process
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Tuesday in Moscow, part of revived negotiations aiming to formally end World War II.
The peace process stalled in the 1950s due to a dispute over the Kuril islands the Soviet army occupied in the last days of the war.
"The president has said from the start that the issue of signing a peace agreement with Japan will be very drawn out in terms of time," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists hours before Abe's expected touchdown in the Russian capital.
"The talks are in their initial stage," he said.
Tokyo claims as their own the so-called southern Kurils, a string of islands just north of Hokkaido which it calls Northern Territories.
In the 1950s, the Soviet Union had said it would be willing to transfer Shikotan island and Habomai, a group of islets, to Japan, following a signed peace accord.
Japan at the time refused, demanding the entire chain, which also includes the islands of Iturup and Kunashir.
The notion that Moscow could now cede any territory to Japan is extremely sensitive in Russian society, with a number of protests held against it in recent weeks, including in Moscow at the weekend.
Peskov did not rule out the possibility that Putin could hand over territory in exchange for a peace deal.
"Nobody has officially offered anything, so any eventual line of reasoning is hardly appropriate, they don't help the spirit of the talks," he said.
"Nobody is going to go against their national interests," Peskov said.
Three of the islands are inhabited while Habomai is a group of islets with only the presence of a border patrol.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Sharjah Animation Conference explores cross-cultural collaboration opportunities ..
Sharjah Public Library provides countless opportunities for young imaginations t ..
Sharjah Police launches 'Your belongings, your responsibility' awareness campaig ..
Dubai Police displays Innovative Tourism Security Services at 'ATM 2024'
Mohammad Haris, Aamir Jamal not part of national squad for Ireland, England: Bab ..
Erdogan opens former church to Muslim worshippers
Cultural events hallmark of a nation, Director RAC
Iraq hangs 11 convicted of 'terrorism': security, health sources
Stocks rise on renewed hopes of rate cuts
PM assures all-out support to Saudi investment
S.Africa building collapse traps 48 workers: city hall
Nilofar lauds efforts for development of national document aimed promoting balan ..
More Stories From World
-
No letup yet for flood-battered southern Brazil
14 minutes ago -
Football: Italian Serie A results - collated
6 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
6 hours ago -
Atalanta climb into Serie A top five ahead of Marseille decider
6 hours ago -
Jones frustrates Wilson's quest to win World Snooker final
6 hours ago -
No let up yet for flood-battered south Brazil
7 hours ago
-
Serie A blasts plans for government football finance body
7 hours ago -
Prophet's Mosque accommodates over 4.2 million worshippers last week
8 hours ago -
UN experts slams Israel’s ‘sexual assault and violence’ against women, children in Gaza
8 hours ago -
Merlier pips Milan to Giro third stage, bold Pogacar holds lead
8 hours ago -
Sharjah Animation Conference explores cross-cultural collaboration opportunities, highlights new pro ..
8 hours ago -
Sharjah Public Library provides countless opportunities for young imaginations to take flight at SCR ..
8 hours ago