Tokyo, Sep 14 (Agency) Japan’s stance on the Kuril Islands (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai), which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, remains unchanged – to solve the territorial dispute and sign a peace treaty with Russia, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said on Thursday. “As for the Northern Territories, we firmly stick to the direction of solving the territorial issue and concluding a peace treaty,” Kamikawa said at a news conference. The top Japanese diplomat also said that Tokyo would continue its sanctions policy against Moscow, but would act according to Japan’s national interests. “Our country, in cooperation with the international community, primarily with the G7, has adopted strong sanctions against Russia, and intends to continue them in the future. At the same time, Japan and Russia are neighboring countries.
With regard to such issues, when the neighbor cooperation of Japan and Russia is necessary, for example, in economic activities such as fishing, maritime security, we will act in accordance with our national interests, within our foreign policy,” Kamikawa said. She added that one of the priority directions in Japan’s relations with Russia would be the resumption of visits of former residents of Russia-administered Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan and Habomai islands to the graves of ancestors. A major territorial dispute over a chain of Pacific islands has marred the relations between Russia and Japan for decades and prevented them from signing a permanent peace treaty after World War 2. Moscow considers its sovereignty over the Kuril Islands an indisputable result of World War 2, while Tokyo continues to refer to them as its Northern Territories. Russia and Japan have tried to negotiate separate aspects of their disagreements, but have never signed a full postwar peace treaty. In March 2022, Russia withdrew from talks with Japan and suspended joint economic activities on the disputed islands after Tokyo sided with the Western sanctions campaign against Moscow over its special military operation in Ukraine.