Lavrov Says Possible Peace Treaty With Japan Should Specify Tasks For Cooperation Growth

Umer Jamshaid Published April 03, 2019 | 10:02 PM

Russia's possible peace treaty with Japan should cover not only the issue of crossing the border, but it is also necessary to specify new tasks for the development of cooperation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Moskovskij Komsomolets (MK) newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2019) Russia's possible peace treaty with Japan should cover not only the issue of crossing the border, but it is also necessary to specify new tasks for the development of cooperation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Moskovskij Komsomolets (MK) newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday.

"Now that our relations have become so mature that they cover the economy, investments, rich and intense humanitarian ties, we believe that we need to draw up a large agreement that will define new tasks for the development of our cooperation, turning it into a strategic partnership, giving a new quality to our economic and investment relations, to humanitarian relations and to foreign policy cooperation," Lavrov said.

He noted that Tokyo's approach to the future treaty mainly focused on the border issue.

"In their understanding, as shown by my repeated negotiations with the Foreign Minister of Japan Taro Kono, by negotiations within the group headed by our deputies, and by high-level meetings, the treaty should consist of two lines: the border is here, and everything will further be fine," Lavrov stressed.

Russian-Japanese relations have long been complicated by the fact that the two nations never signed a permanent peace treaty after the end of World War II. The deal was never reached because of a disagreement over a group of four islands Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai that Russia has sovereignty over, but that are also claimed by Japan.

During peace treaty talks with his Japanese counterpart in January, Lavrov stressed that the sides had confirmed their willingness to work on the basis of the 1956 declaration, "which means, first of all, the inalterability of ... Japan's complete recognition of ... Russia's sovereignty over all the islands of the South Kuril ridge."