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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russian PM visits disputed Kuril islands, triggering Japan protest
2015-08-23
[Hurriyet Daily News] Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev landed Aug. 22 in the Kuril islands, prompting a swift rebuke from Tokyo, which claims illusory sovereignty over the northwest Pacific archipelago in a long-running dispute.

Medvedev visited Iturup, one of four islands in the chain that lies off Russia's far eastern coast and just north of Japan, Russian media reports said.

"Everything is perfectly modern here," Medvedev was quoted as saying on his arrival. "This is the result of our development programme for the Kuril islands."

Hajime Hayashi, the head of the Japanese foreign ministry's European division, phoned the Russian ambassador in Tokyo over the visit to the islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories. The trip "contradicts Japan's position over the Northern Territories and hurts the feelings of the Japanese people... It is extremely regrettable", Hayashi said, quoted by a Japanese foreign ministry official.

Soviet troops seized the islands just after Japan surrendered in World War II.

The seven-decade-old dispute has hampered trade and prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a formal post-war peace treaty.
I have to side with the Russians here: if you don't want to lose land, don't start a war...
Someone should explain that to the Palestinians and their friends.
Both the Kremlin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had hoped to start mending relations in order to revive trade, with Japan seeking broader access to Russia's plentiful oil and natural gas supplies.

According to the government's website, Medvedev visited the island's new airport, sea port, a fish processing factory, and a youth forum where he met with young scientists and teachers.
Posted by:Fred

#1  Russia = Vladvedev knows CHINA has designs to recover SAKHALIN, wid or widout its on-going competition wid Japan to be Asia's or East Asia's #1 - Mama Russia needs the ex-Nippon Kuriles now more than ever to secure Sakhalin's flank, + by extension the Russian Far East, from its SCO BFF + strategic partner China.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2015-08-23 19:29  

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