Japan formalizes Russian occupation of Kuril Islands
These are Iturup, Shikotan, Kunashir, which were annexed by the USSR at the end of World War II. and These are the Habomay Islands
Tokyo will henceforth call the southern Kuril Islands “illegally occupied ancient lands.”
The statement was included in the draft of the new edition of the Blue Book on Diplomacy.
This book is an information publication on the country’s foreign policy.
Japan claims four of the Kuril Islands in Russia.
These are Iturup, Shikotan, Kunashir, which were annexed by the USSR at the end of World War II. and These are the Habomay Islands. At that time, along with the annexation, the Japanese population of the islands was exiled.
Moscow and Although Tokyo signed a ceasefire declaration in 1956, no peace agreement was reached between the two countries.
Unfulfilled expectations
Japan 20Until 03, these islands were officially called “illegally occupied territories”, and until 2012, they were called “their ancient lands”.
But in 2012 Russia Hoping to reach a compromise with Japan, Japan tried not to use these expressions.
Japan was then ready to return to the 1956 declaration.
In that declaration, Habomay after the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries of the USSR and He undertook to return the Shikotan Islands to Japan.
The current prime minister in 2019 Shinzo Abe stated that, He swore “in his father’s name” to end the Kuril Islands dispute. However, the talks with Moscow did not yield any results.
In early March, the Japanese Foreign Minister Yosimasa Hayasi In a speech to parliament, he called the islands “ancient Japanese lands.”
At a subsequent press conference, the minister said that, the islands have been “illegally occupied”.
Moscow suspended peace talks after these statements.