Japan reaffirms push to resolve Kuril dispute amid strained Russia ties

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has reiterated that Tokyo remains steadfast in its efforts to resolve the longstanding dispute over the “four northern islands” — Japan’s designation for the southern Kuril Islands — and to ultimately conclude a peace treaty with Russia.

Motegi made the remarks during a meeting with Masatoshi Ishigaki, the mayor of Nemuro City in Hokkaido, the northernmost Japanese prefecture and the closest administrative region to Russia, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry reported that Mayor Ishigaki delivered a letter to Motegi calling for progress on the “Northern Territories” issue and for the swift resumption of exchanges with the island communities, particularly visits to ancestral graves.

In response, Motegi underscored the centrality of the dispute in bilateral ties, stating that “the issue of the ‘Northern Territories’ remains the most important matter in Japan–Russia relations.”

Although acknowledging that “Japan–Russia relations are in a difficult situation,” Motegi affirmed that Tokyo’s position remains unchanged: Japan will continue to pursue a settlement on the status of the “four northern islands” and work toward the signing of a long-delayed peace treaty.

By Vafa Guliyeva