The Japanese and Russian governments are considering delaying the start of this year's visa-free exchange program for the four northern territories amid the spread of the new coronavirus, according to a senior official of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
The program runs every year usually from May to October and allows Japanese nationals, such as former residents of the islands, experts, lawmakers and members of the media, to visit the northern territories and Russian residents of the islands to visit Japan by ship without needing visas.
In mid-March, representatives of the two governments had been scheduled to hold talks in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, capital of Sakhalin, to discuss this year's plan. However, the Russian side has been wary over the spread of the virus and the talks were canceled at its request, delaying coordination for the program.
Given this, the two governments are considering postponing the program's start in May or June, by which time the infection is unlikely to have been brought under control. The Japanese side is aiming to start the program in July or later, but coordination will likely prove difficult as Russian authorities in charge of the islands have shown reluctance over Japanese people arriving even by that time. The Japanese side is also concerned that if the program goes forward, the risk of infection will increase as elderly former islanders and other people spend a long time in the enclosed space of a ship while traveling.
The visa-free exchange program was proposed by then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev when he visited Japan in April 1991. It has been held annually since 1992, with about 13,800 Japanese and 9,800 Russians having participated in it by 2018.
Besides the exchange program, former islanders and relevant others can travel to the four northern territories without visas under frameworks including grave visits and so-called free visits that make processes as simple as possible. However, it is thought to be inevitable that these visits will also be affected by the spread of the virus.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
