Medvedev to visit more islands as Japan protests
Source: Agencies |
November 3, 2010, Wednesday
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RUSSIAN President Dmitry Medvedev plans to visit other islands disputed with Japan and step up investments in the archipelago, Russia's foreign minister said yesterday, deepening a diplomatic row between Moscow and Tokyo.
Japan said yesterday it was recalling its ambassador to Moscow temporarily, after Medvedev visited a disputed island, raising the stakes in a territorial row.
"We have a territorial problem and that needs to be solved," Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a news conference at which he announced the envoy's temporary recall.
"But our basic policy of concluding a peace treaty with Russia and strengthening economic relations once that problem is settled remains unchanged," he added. The dispute prevented Russia and Japan signing a peace treaty ending World War II.
Medvedev made a brief visit on Monday to one of four island outposts seized by Russia from Japan at the end of the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Japan had over-reacted following Medvedev's visit .
"The president said he will visit the other islands ... in this small group," Lavrov told a news conference. No timeframe was given.
"The president noted that, until now, rather insufficient resources have been earmarked for the development of these islands. This situation will be improved," he said.
Lavrov said Russia was not planning to recall its ambassador to Tokyo and said that Japan was over-reacting.
"We have already made clear that protests and such strong reactions are unacceptable to us and we will continue to have such views," he said. "I don't think we plan any steps on our side because we never undertook anything that would worsen our relations with Japan.
"We are not planning any foreign trips for our ambassador in Tokyo," Lavrov added.
Japan's top government spokesman said earlier that leaders from Japan and Russia were still likely to hold talks at a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on November 13 and 14, although Maehara said nothing had been decided.
The rainy and windswept islands disputed by Moscow and Tokyo are known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan. Tokyo's demands for the return of the territory have weighed on relations with Moscow since World War II.
Japanese Economic Minister Banri Kaieda expressed concern that the Japan-Russia row could affect commercial relations.
"I'm worried about the impact on economic relations from the Russian president's visit to the Northern Territories," Kaieda told reporters.
Japan said yesterday it was recalling its ambassador to Moscow temporarily, after Medvedev visited a disputed island, raising the stakes in a territorial row.
"We have a territorial problem and that needs to be solved," Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a news conference at which he announced the envoy's temporary recall.
"But our basic policy of concluding a peace treaty with Russia and strengthening economic relations once that problem is settled remains unchanged," he added. The dispute prevented Russia and Japan signing a peace treaty ending World War II.
Medvedev made a brief visit on Monday to one of four island outposts seized by Russia from Japan at the end of the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Japan had over-reacted following Medvedev's visit .
"The president said he will visit the other islands ... in this small group," Lavrov told a news conference. No timeframe was given.
"The president noted that, until now, rather insufficient resources have been earmarked for the development of these islands. This situation will be improved," he said.
Lavrov said Russia was not planning to recall its ambassador to Tokyo and said that Japan was over-reacting.
"We have already made clear that protests and such strong reactions are unacceptable to us and we will continue to have such views," he said. "I don't think we plan any steps on our side because we never undertook anything that would worsen our relations with Japan.
"We are not planning any foreign trips for our ambassador in Tokyo," Lavrov added.
Japan's top government spokesman said earlier that leaders from Japan and Russia were still likely to hold talks at a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on November 13 and 14, although Maehara said nothing had been decided.
The rainy and windswept islands disputed by Moscow and Tokyo are known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan. Tokyo's demands for the return of the territory have weighed on relations with Moscow since World War II.
Japanese Economic Minister Banri Kaieda expressed concern that the Japan-Russia row could affect commercial relations.
"I'm worried about the impact on economic relations from the Russian president's visit to the Northern Territories," Kaieda told reporters.
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