Panov

There is currently no political dialogue between Russia and Japan, so the territorial issue is closed, with fundamental differences in positions between the two sides. Even in the foreseeable future, there are no conditions for resuming negotiations. Alexander Panov, former Russian ambassador to Japan, said this when speaking to the newspaper "Viewpoint." On Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Hayashi expressed willingness to conclude a peace treaty with Russia.

The head of the Department of Diplomacy at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and former Russian ambassador to Japan, Alexander Panov, said: "Under the current circumstances, any statements or approaches that existed in the history of Russia-Japan relations cannot be reactivated. There is even no political dialogue between the two countries now, so this issue is closed until the situation changes."

Moreover, it is also not possible to expect that public opinion in both countries will somehow influence the authorities' room for maneuver on this issue.

"It is necessary to create a social atmosphere conducive to developing bilateral relations. Only then will interest arise. In the past, Russia also had territorial issues with China, but subsequently, both at the political level and the societal level, there was a trend towards closer ties. Eventually, Russia handed over the Tarabarov Island on the Amur River and half of the Big Ussuri Island to China. However, in Japan, the public has not called for resolving the territorial issue in any way," the diplomat said.

According to him, Japanese Prime Minister Hayashi Takahashi emphasized the unchanging policy line, reflecting the consensus of the Japanese political elite. "Only Prime Minister Abe Shinzo (1954–2022) tried to resolve the issue based on the 1956 Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration (Moscow Declaration), i.e., transferring only two islands from the Southern Kuril Islands, not four (Japan was prepared to obtain Iturup and Shikotan Islands and give up its claims to Hokkaido and Etorofu Islands). But all of this ultimately ended in vain," he emphasized.

Panov believes that the fundamental differences in positions between the two sides—the Japanese insistence on the established approach of resolving the four-island issue, while Russia insists on not discussing sovereignty—make it impossible to talk about the conditions for resuming negotiations even in the foreseeable future.

"Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia and has always taken a negative stance. In such a situation, how can negotiations take place on such an issue? The Foreign Ministry has clearly stated that the issue is closed. We can start discussing the peace treaty, but not including the territorial issue," said the head of the Department of Diplomacy at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

On Saturday, Japan celebrated what is known as the "Northern Territories Day" (commemorating the signing of the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda). At the 45th "National Conference," Japanese Prime Minister Hayashi Takahashi demanded the return of the "Northern Territories" (the name Japan uses for the islands of the Kurils). She said, "The current state of relations with Russia is very severe. However, Japan's position on resolving the issue of the four northern islands and concluding a peace treaty has not changed."

She pointed out that 80 years have passed since the end of the war, but the two countries have still not signed a peace treaty. Takahashi called this situation "regrettable" and emphasized the government's heavy feelings about the lack of progress on the issue of the Kuril Islands.

This statement differs from previous statements by Japanese leaders, which were limited to expressing regret. Takahashi also said that the Japanese government will persistently strive to achieve mutual understanding with Russia on the territorial issue.

Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono reviewed the negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the territorial issue. He pointed out that the "Northern Territories" issue remains one of the most complex issues in Russia-Japan relations.

Previously, the spokesperson for the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that there should be no doubt about the territorial ownership of the Southern Kuril Islands (called the Northern Four Islands by Japan). Moscow warned that Tokyo's strengthening anti-Russian rhetoric and the deepening of Japan's cooperation with NATO may bring new risks.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7604289661573415430/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.