In Moscow this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains committed to peace after Japan’s new government expressed a desire to sign a treaty with Russia.
TASS quoted Peskov as welcoming the statement and saying Russia supports a peace agreement with Japan. He thanked Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, who in her inaugural speech said Tokyo intends to resolve the “northern territories” dispute and sign a treaty, even though relations are strained.
Peskov pointed out that past Japanese governments pushed sanctions and restrictions that hurt cooperation between Moscow and Tokyo. He said the “unfriendly actions” have pushed diplomatic talks to almost zero and that Japan’s current stance makes new negotiations difficult.
Japan has not mentioned whether it will keep supporting Ukraine or keep sanctions on Russia in its new policy speech to parliament.
The two countries have been trying to finalize a peace treaty since the early 20th century, but the main roadblock is the Kuril Islands dispute. Russia says it has full sovereignty over the islands, while Japan insists they are its territory illegally occupied by Russia.
Relations sharped after Japan slapped multiple sanctions on Moscow in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In turn, Russia said it had no interest in continuing treaty talks while sanctions remain in place.
The future of the peace treaty hinges on whether Russia and Japan can find common ground on the islands and reset their diplomatic ties.
Source: ianslive
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