Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Japanese government held Saturday the “National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories, ”which are Russian-controls 4 islands off Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido and “occupied” by the former Soviet Union since the end of WW2.

The four islands were seized by the Soviet Union following Japan’s surrender in 1945. Tokyo argues the annexation was illegal and demands their return while Moscow says it was a legitimate outcome of the war.
 
The decades-long dispute over the island chain, which also includes the Habomai islet group, has prevented the two countries from signing a postwar peace treaty.
 
Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide and Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu gave speeches at the rally, while bipartisan members of Japanese political parties came to the event in support of measures to see the islands returned to Japan.
 
The event was held online and without an audience due to the coronavirus situation. 
 
“I feel great support from the Japanese people for the return of our islands. It has been 75 years since World War II and we have not been able to conclude a peace treaty with Russia, which is regrettable,” Suga said.

“President Putin has ackowledged the importance that former residents should be able to visit without Visas, as soon as the pandenic ends, he said they are ready to resume” Suga added.

Foreign minister Motegi said “As far as the peace treaty with Russia is concerned, I have talked with foreign minister Lavrov many times and made tenacious efforts to achieve that goal. We have established a project in the field of tourism and garbage disposal in the all four northern islands, and for the humanitarian issue, we have arranged former residents to visit their family tombs three years in a row, whereas this was not possible for many years. Last year, such communication and visits were canceled due to COVID-19, but our government will strive forward to further continue such events.”

Motegi added that “in order for us to proceed with negotiation with Russia, we need to continue showing Japanese people’s opinions precisely for the definite solution of this issue.” He urged the Japanese people to lend support for the realization of the peace treaty with Russia and solve this issue.

Motegi also said that “the peace treaty with Russia stands on top of our priority and we understand that former residents are becoming elderlies and a timely solution is becoming imminent.”

 Administrative minister KONO Taro, who is also a state minister in charge of Northern Territories affairs, thanked former residents of the islands and activists for their efforts in support of a resolution. He stressed the importance of keeping the younger generation aware of the situation in view of the age of the former residents.