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President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Just before the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on
cooperation with Japan and negotiations on the status of the South Kuril Islands (Iturup, Shikotan, Kunashir and Habomai group of islands) in front of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
The main condition: the strengthening of Japanese sovereignty
The president of Russia noted the
need for a peace treaty with Japan to be signed. According to Putin,
the issue of "northern territories" so painful for the Japanese side must also be solved in a consistent manner so that none of the parties involved feel like they have lost. According to the Russian president, the
main factor that would make moving the process forward possible is
expanding cooperation between Japan and Russia. When the
level of mutual trust between Japan and Russia is comparable to that observable between Russia and China, then compromise will be reached, the president said.
Thus, the Russian president has
hinted that the solution to border disputes with China, in which China received a number of territories formerly controlled by the Soviet Union and Russia, was achieved only because China acted as an independent and friendly power for Russia.
The real problem facing the resolution of territorial disputes between Russia and Japan is the latter country's strategic cooperation with the United States and its de facto American occupation. Under these conditions, the transfer of islands to Japan
would mean de facto transferring them to the US, Russia's main geopolitical rival, which is inadmissible for Russia.
Comment: Agree to disagree: Obama, Xi Address South China Sea row, North Korea ahead of G20 Summit