Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, aims to finalize the postwar treaty with Russia and repatriate the islands. (Image via Euronews)

Abe aims to talk with Putin for the disputed islands

Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, vowed on Friday to proceed talks with Russia. The statement came after the supporters demanding the return of four disputed islands off Hokkaido, northernmost island of Japan held an annual rally held on “Northern Territories Day” that falls on 7 Feb.

The supporters of the return of the four disputed islands called that the islands are inheritances of Japan from an early age.

To this day, Tokyo accused Moscow of the illegal seizure of the four islands in Northern Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow claims that the seizure is legitimate since Japan’s 1945 surrender in WWII.

In November 2018, Abe and Putin agreed to proceed negotiations under a 1956 joint declaration to repatriate Shikotan and Habomai islets. Etorofu and Kunashiri will follow.

For the second year in a row, the supporters refrained from calling the occupation “illegal”, avoiding to make the matter worse.

Speaking at the rally, Abe said that he is seeking a way to solve the almost-decade-old territorial dispute with Russia and conclude negotiations for a postwar peace treaty. However, until now, the peace treaty was stalled due to the status of the islands in Northern Japan.

As prove, Abe is expected to visit Russia on 9 May to attend the 75th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Germany in WWII. Through the envisaged summit, Abe hopes to talk with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to break the silence on the postwar peace treaty.

Abe will be the first Japanese leader to attend the Russian ceremony since the Junichiro Koizumi in 2005.

In mid-February, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, will meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to lay the groundwork for the meeting of Abe and Putin.

Source: https://bit.ly/3bomi8r