Russia defiant in talks with Japan
Source: Agencies |
February 12, 2011, Saturday
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RUSSIA greeted visiting Japanese foreign minister yesterday with a stream of defiant statements amid a flare-up of tensions caused by the long-running dispute over several Pacific islands.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began talks with Seiji Maehara by describing as "unacceptable" the government-sponsored rally in Tokyo on Monday, when top Japanese officials demanded that Russia returns the islands it seized at the end of the World War II.
"That mars the climate in our relations and doesn't help their development," Lavrov said at a news conference after the talks. "When radical approaches take the upper hand in Japan concerning the issue of a peace treaty, it becomes pointless to conduct a dialogue on the issue."
The two countries have competing claims over four southern Kuril islands - or Northern Territories in Japan - and this has kept them from signing a formal peace treaty ending their World War II hostilities.
The four islands, seized by Soviet troops in the last days of World War II, give Russia a military toehold just 10 kilometers off the northeastern tip of Japan's northern Hokkaido island. The islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and are believed to have offshore oil and natural gas reserves, plus gold and silver deposits.
During Monday's rally in Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan demanded the return of the islands and called the recent visit there by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "an unforgivable outrage."
Medvedev fired back on Wednesday, saying that more weapons will be sent to protect the islands as an "inalienable part of Russia."
Tensions have been building up since November, when Medvedev became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the islands despite strong objections from Japan. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected military garrisons on the islands last week and said Moscow is planning to upgrade the troops' weapons there.
Earlier this week, state news agency ITAR-Tass cited a Defense Ministry source that some of the Mistral assault ships Russia has contracted to buy from France would be deployed in the Pacific Fleet.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began talks with Seiji Maehara by describing as "unacceptable" the government-sponsored rally in Tokyo on Monday, when top Japanese officials demanded that Russia returns the islands it seized at the end of the World War II.
"That mars the climate in our relations and doesn't help their development," Lavrov said at a news conference after the talks. "When radical approaches take the upper hand in Japan concerning the issue of a peace treaty, it becomes pointless to conduct a dialogue on the issue."
The two countries have competing claims over four southern Kuril islands - or Northern Territories in Japan - and this has kept them from signing a formal peace treaty ending their World War II hostilities.
The four islands, seized by Soviet troops in the last days of World War II, give Russia a military toehold just 10 kilometers off the northeastern tip of Japan's northern Hokkaido island. The islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and are believed to have offshore oil and natural gas reserves, plus gold and silver deposits.
During Monday's rally in Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan demanded the return of the islands and called the recent visit there by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "an unforgivable outrage."
Medvedev fired back on Wednesday, saying that more weapons will be sent to protect the islands as an "inalienable part of Russia."
Tensions have been building up since November, when Medvedev became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the islands despite strong objections from Japan. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected military garrisons on the islands last week and said Moscow is planning to upgrade the troops' weapons there.
Earlier this week, state news agency ITAR-Tass cited a Defense Ministry source that some of the Mistral assault ships Russia has contracted to buy from France would be deployed in the Pacific Fleet.
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