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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan Rejects Putin’s Claims on Kuril Islands |
| 2005-09-28 |
| Japan has rejected Russia President Vladimir Putin’s insistence on sovereignty over the Kuril Islands, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday. The territory, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, has been disputed between the two sides for the past 60 years. In a nationwide phone-in on Tuesday, Putin ruled out any negotiations with Tokyo over the islands, which lie between Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula and the Japanese island of Hokkaido. "They are under the sovereignty of the Russian Federation," he said. "This is reinforced by international law. And on this issue we are not ready to discuss anything." In response, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said the islands belongs to Japan. "From the objective standpoint, the four northern islands belong to Japan, and we will keep claiming our sovereignty over them," he said. The Soviet army seized the islands after Japan’s capitulation in World War II. The dispute over the territory has kept Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty formally ending hostilities during the 1939-45 conflict. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #6 More like 1 week, starting the 8th (after Hiroshima, anyway) if I remember. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-09-28 20:10 |
| #5 And the Russian war against the Japanese lasted 3 weeks? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-09-28 18:32 |
| #4 "1939-1945 conflict" ? Excuse me, you mean World War 2 ? |
| Posted by: john 2005-09-28 18:27 |
| #3 Japan has offered billions in development and social aid (pipelines, development, benefits for the Russian citizens) in exchange for the Kurils. Russian objections are: We took the Kurils fair and square. They protect the shipping lanes of Vladivostock. Rich fishing grounds around the Kurils Settlers have to move. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-09-28 17:24 |
| #2 I think the Yamato was destroyed battling the Comet Empire. Russia needs cash, they should sell the islands to japan and allow the Japanese to save face in the process. The islands have little value now that Russia has no Pacific fleet. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-09-28 17:06 |
| #1 Where is the YAMATO when you really need it? |
| Posted by: borgboy 2005-09-28 15:35 |