To break an impasse in negotiations with Russia over the northern territories, the government must discern that country's moves and make strategic efforts to achieve that objective.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Germany, where they discussed issues related to a peace treaty, including the bilateral territorial row. The two confirmed a plan to coordinate a visit to Japan by Lavrov.
In 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to base the negotiations on the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration, which states that the Habomai group of islets and Shikotan Island will be handed over to Japan.
However, the Russian side shifted to an uncompromising stance, causing the bilateral talks to reach a stalemate. A rising tide of public opinion in Russia opposing the return of territories is a factor behind the situation.
There is no overlooking the emergence in Russia of a call for the Russian Constitution to be amended to include a ban on the cession of territories. This month, Putin is said to have supported a proposal by a member of a working committee on constitutional revisions.
If Russia scraps agreements so far reached between the two nations, its attitude is too insincere. If that country enforces such an approach, Japan-Russia relations are bound to sharply deteriorate.
Although Motegi said he had taken up this problem in his meeting with the Russian foreign minister, he did not disclose the details of their talks.
Build positive ties
Russia's constitutional revisions are planned for as early as this spring. The Japanese government should demand an explanation of Russia's true motives, and resolutely insist that country abandon the idea of revising its Constitution in a manner that will hamper negotiations over the conclusion of a peace treaty.
The two governments have reached a consensus on a plan to promote joint economic activities expected to be carried out on the four northern islands.
Last year, a sightseeing tour was carried out on a trial basis, in which Japanese visited Kunashiri and Etorofu islands. It is necessary to quickly consider a system that will not compromise either nation's legal stance, with a view to implementing various projects on a full scale.
Economic cooperation between Japan and Russia, based on an agreement reached between their leaders, is gradually taking specific shape. In Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East, a Japanese corporation is contributing to the development of a facility for medical diagnosis. Progress is also being made in Japanese companies' participation in a project to produce liquefied natural gas in Siberia and Sakhalin.
There are expectations among many Russians that Japan will expand investment in their country, as Russia has been subject to economic sanctions imposed by the United States and European nations over its annexation of Crimea.
The government is aiming to expand the Japan-Russia relationship from various angles, thereby making progress on the territorial issue. Attention should be paid to preventing the territorial issue from being left behind, with progress being only made in bilateral economic cooperation.
With the expiration of the U.S.-Russia Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty, the United States is considering the deployment of missiles in Asia. Russia is wary of the U.S. military building a base on one of the islands after its being returned to Japan.
It is important to build confidence between Japan and Russia in the field of security, by holding joint exercises between the Self-Defense Forces and the Russian forces and steadily repeating people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
-- This article appeared in the print version of The Yomiuri Shimbun on Feb. 19, 2020.
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