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Moscow Urges Tokyo to Give Up Extreme Stand on Territorial Dispute
Moscow on Wednesday urged Tokyo to soften its ultra and inflexible position on the territorial dispute between the two countries and adopt an agile policy to make a peace deal with Russia.
Speaking at a forum on Russian-Japanese relations here, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said Russia hopes to resolve the dispute over the four South Kuril Islands through compromise, but called for Japan to drop its "extreme positions on the problem.
Russia has the political will to settle territorial problem, but the border disagreements should not disturb the development of bilateral ties. Neither of the sides can force its idea upon the other one, Losyukov said.
Moscow holds that the two countries need each other now and the two nations for the first time have the possibility for an open and constructive dialogue, he stressed.
Although Japan is a traditional and important ally of the U.S., this will not present an obstacle to the development of a partnership between Russia and Japan, he said.
Losyukov proposed that the two states strengthen the cooperation in preserving strategic stability, first, in keeping the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty intact.
He expressed confidence that the two countries can get rid of the historical burden, called on Tokyo to take a fresher look on the territorial problem and to boost actual geopolitical roles played by the two countries.
A Japanese-Russian peace treaty will be the basis for peace and stability in the whole of the Asian-Pacific region as well as for stable long-term relations between the two countries, Arima Tatsuo, special envoy of the Japanese Cabinet, told a news conference after the forum.
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