Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited two of the four
Russian-held islands claimed by Japan Sunday and indicated that
Moscow is not ready to give up the disputed territories, news
reports said.
Russia captured the four islands at the southern end of the
Kuril chain - known as the Northern Territories in Japan - from
Japan during the closing days of World War II.
Tokyo has demanded that Moscow cede all four islands, which are
surrounded by rich fishing grounds. The dispute has kept the two
countries from a signing a peace treaty formally ending their World
War II hostilities.
"A solution has not been found yet, but we are ready to look for
a solution that would answer the interests of Russia and Japan,"
Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency.
Lavrov, however, added that "Russia will proceed from the outcome
of World War II."
Lavrov visited Kunashiri and Shikotan islands in the first trip
by a Russian foreign minister to the island grouping, Russian news
agencies reported.
His visit was apparently intended to demonstrate Moscow's
position that the four islands are Russian territory ahead of a
planned meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and
Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a summit of
the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Germany this week,
Japan's Kyodo News agency said.
Lavrov visited the two islands to inspect progress in
development programs in the Russian Far East, the reports said.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov visited
Etorofu, one of the four islands, in April, Kyodo said.
Also on Sunday, Japan confirmed that Russia has seized a
Japanese fishing boat with a crew of 17 in waters east of the
Kamchatka Peninsula, and was taking it to a Russian port.
The boat was captured by a Russian border guard vessel after
Russian authorities inspected it on Friday on suspicion of carrying
catch exceeding the declared amount, the Japanese foreign ministry
said in a statement.
There had been conflicting information, with the Japanese media
reporting on Saturday that the boat had been captured the day
before, while the company owning the ship denied the reports.
The crew of the Hoshin Maru No 88, which was being taken to
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy on the Kamchatka Peninsula, were in good
health, according to the ministry.
Japan has requested the Russian authorities immediately release
the boat and its crew.
(China Daily via agencies June 4, 2007)
