Tokyo Takes Note Of Putin's Remark On Joint Economic Activity On Kuril Islands

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2021) Japan has taken into account the remark of Russian President Vladimir Putin about measures to stimulate joint economic activities in the disputed Kuril Islands, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Monday.

Last week, Putin asked Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to pay special attention to the situation on the Kuril Islands on creating conditions for joint activities with Japan during his working trip to the Far East, which began earlier on Monday. After evaluating the situation on the spot, Moscow's proposals to stimulate this cooperation should be finalized and implemented, Putin said.

"We know that on July 23, President Putin ... gave instructions to finalize Russia's proposals to Japan on joint economic activities in the Northern Territories [Japan's endonym for the Kurils] and expressed hope for [their] implementation. I would like to refrain from speculating about the intentions of the Russian side on the basis of these statements ... The Japanese government took into account the statement of the president," Kato told reporters.

Commenting on the possibility of joint economic activities on the disputed islands, the official said that Tokyo was actively negotiating the issue with Moscow, proceeding from the fact that it should be carried out in a form that does not violate Japan's legal position.

The remark came as Mishustin arrived earlier in the day on the island of Iturup, part of the disputed Kuril Island chain. Kato called the visit "regrettable," while the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin to express protest.

Relations between Russia and Japan have long been complicated by the fact that they have never signed a permanent peace treaty following World War II. The main stumbling block is their dispute over a group of four islands � Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai. Both countries are currently making efforts to finalize a peace treaty.

During his visit to the Asian country in 2016, Putin and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to consider joint economic activity on the disputed islands.