Japan Pledges Russia Talks as 70-Year Dispute Persists
“Even amid the difficult state of Japan-Russia relations, we will continue the necessary communication with the Russian side and work toward breaking the current deadlock," Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo, according to a local news agency.
Relations between Tokyo and Moscow have deteriorated since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February 2022, with Japan joining its Western allies in imposing sanctions on Moscow.
The two countries restored diplomatic relations under an agreement signed on Oct. 19, 1956. However, their efforts to resolve a territorial dispute over islands near Japan's northern Hokkaido region have yet to produce a comprehensive settlement.
The contested territory includes Iturup, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group. Japan refers to the islands as the Northern Territories, while Russia identifies them as part of the Southern Kurils.
Tokyo maintains that the islands were "illegally" seized by the former Soviet Union shortly after Japan surrendered in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945. Moscow, by contrast, insists the takeover was legitimate.
The territorial disagreement has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a formal peace treaty following World War II. Tensions have intensified in recent years as Tokyo's sanctions against Moscow have further complicated efforts to resolve the dispute.
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