The Russian embassy in Japan told Sputnik on Friday that Tokyo’s representations over the opening of a plant on the Shikotan island, which is part of the Southern Kurils archipelago, were unacceptable. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in an opening ceremony of the fish processing plant on Shikotan via a video link-up. Japan, which has territorial claims over Shikotan, as well as Iturup, Kunashir and Habomai, has criticized the move, saying it would make representations to Russia over it. “We believe that the representations by the Japanese site are unacceptable. Southern Kuril islands legally belong to Russia as an outcome of World War II. Thus, Russia has a right to take any action for the social development of its territories,” the embassy said.
The diplomatic mission said it hoped Japan would “begin understanding this reality.” The embassy insisted that such actions by Japan did not help create a favorable atmosphere for the ongoing bilateral dialogue on the World War II peace treaty, adding that joint work on bilateral cooperation, not representations, would help develop Russian-Japanese relations.
The Kuril Islands dispute has been preventing the sides from concluding a peace treaty after World War II. Over the past year, Moscow and Tokyo have been engaged in talks on the treaty. The states have been committed to carrying out the talks based on the 1956 bilateral declaration, which stipulates, among other things, that Japan would regain control over Habomai islets and Shikotan. The status of the islands of Kunashir and Iturup is not covered by the 1956 declaration.
