Tokyo [Japan], August 13 (ANI): Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday sternly criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s go to to Iturup Island within the disputed Northern Territories, warning that the ‘completely unacceptable’ transfer severely damages bilateral ties and deepens anti-Russian sentiment inside Japan.
Earlier at the moment, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Ituruo, recognized in Japan as Etorofu Island, in his first journey to one of many 4 islands within the Russian-held, Japanese-claimed Kuril island chain, as per Russia’s official TASS news company.
Takaichi addressing a casual press convention on the official residence following stories of the go to, highlighted that Tokyo had repeatedly urged Moscow to chorus from high-level presidential visits to the area ever since President Putin indicated his intention to go to in January 2024.
‘I strongly protest at the moment’s go to to Iturup Island by President Putin. The Northern Territories are inherently Japanese territory each traditionally and beneath worldwide regulation, and this go to to Iturup Island by Russia’s incumbent president is incompatible with Japan’s constant place on the Northern Territories,’ Takaichi stated in a put up on X.
‘Moreover, it wounds the sentiments of the Japanese individuals and is completely unacceptable,’ the Japanese Prime Minister stated.
The Kuril Islands dispute- recognized in Japan because the Northern Territories conflict- is a long-standing territorial disagreement over 4 southernmost islands (Iturup/Etorofu, Kunashir/Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets) positioned between Japan’s Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Historically acknowledged as Japanese territory beneath the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda, the islands have been occupied by Soviet troops in August 1945 throughout the remaining days of World War II, resulting in the expulsion of roughly 17,000 Japanese residents.
Moscow maintains that its sovereignty was established by post-war Allied agreements, together with the Yalta Conference, whereas Tokyo argues these 4 islands are an inherent, non-ceded a part of Japan and have been by no means meant to be renounced beneath the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty.
The report by Japanese official company detailed that Japan maintains that the Northern Territories, consisting of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group, have been illegally seized by the Soviet Union quickly after Japan’s give up in World War II on August 15, 1945. Russia, which calls them the Southern Kurils, argues the seizure was reputable.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has lasted practically four-and-a-half years. Putin’s transfer seems geared toward exhibiting observers at residence and overseas that Moscow is not going to make territorial concessions together with to Japan, which has referred to as for the return of the disputed islands.
The territorial dispute has saved the 2 international locations from signing a peace treaty after World War II.
Prospects are dim for restarting talks on signing the treaty, with little signal of enchancment in bilateral ties after Japan joined the United States and different international locations in imposing sanctions to hit Moscow’s warfare chest within the wake of the beginning of the invasion in 2022.
‘Even amid the tough state of Japan-Russia relations following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japan has made each doable effort, however this go to can solely be stated to have additional hardened anti-Russia sentiment inside Japan and made medium- to long-term restoration of relations harder. I hope that the Russian aspect will take the gravity of this matter very critically,’ Takaichi stated.
Meanwhile, Russia’s official media TASS reported that as per video footage from the Kremlin press service, Putin visited the Yasny fish processing plant in Iturup. (ANI)