Putin firmly defends Russia's sovereignty for Kurile Islands, Japan insist

[lovuian]

http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/88/350/16223_Kurile.html

The return of the islands is the basis of the peace treaty with Russia, Japanese politicians say

The scandal between Russia and Japan regarding the sovereignty of Kurile Islands has resumed this week again. Answering a question from a resident of Sakhalin in Russia's Far East during a call-in conference held on September 27, President Vladimir Putin stated that the sovereignty of Russia's four Kurile Islands was not to be discussed. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said two days later, though, that Japan would continue to insist on the return of the islands. According to Koizumi, it would be the mandatory condition upon which Japan would agree to sign the peace treaty.

Speaking about relations with Japan, the Russian president said that there were certain questions left that the two countries had unsolved, including the one about the sovereignty of Kurile Islands. "It is a very sensitive question both for Russia and for Japan. I am certain that we always can find variants that would be good for the both sides," Putin said. The president added that the islands are under the Russian sovereignty that is fixed by international agreements. "These are the results of WWII, and we are not going to discuss anything at this point," Putin concluded.

The Japanese administration responded with a rather predictable reaction. The Japanese PM said in the parliament that Japan was advancing steadily to sign the peace treaty with Russia after the return of the four South Kurile Islands. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda was more explicit in his statement: "The return of the islands is the basis of the peace treaty. There are certain doubts about Russia's sufficient awareness of all historical nuances. That is why Japan constantly needs to repeat its requirements on the matter," Hosoda said.

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Getting testy!!!