Japan wants to continue Dialog on Peace Treaty and Disputed Territories with Russia

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Japan wants to continue Dialog on Peace Treaty and Disputed Territories with Russia

September 24th, 2015

Awake Goy

Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) : Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to inform Abe about recent Japanese – Russian talks about a peace treaty and a settlement about the disputed northern Japanese territories, a.k.a. South Kuril Islands by Russians. Japan signals that Tokyo will continue the Japanese – Russian dialog which, according to analysts is conducted on an uneven playing field.

After a meeting between the Japanese and Russian Foreign Ministers in Moscow earlier this week, both Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Foreign Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida noted that the two countries would continue the dialog.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, for his part, reiterated that the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Moscow would continue to find a solution that would be acceptable for both nations.

Yoshihide Suga referred to the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin as an opportunity to continue the dialog and that Japan was preparing in that regard.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who otherwise is known for being a sensible and skilled diplomat, drew sharp criticism by Japanese and international analysts when he slammed Japan with what was described as victor’s justice and disregard for international law with regard to the disputed Japanese Northern Territories, a.k.a. South Kuril Islands.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov

Lavrov slammed Tokyo and international law with regard to disputed territories, saying:

“Unacceptable comments from Japan on the trips by Russian government officials to the Southern Kuril Islands have come again recently. … We would like to recall we do not plan taking account of the Japanese government members’ opinions as we arrange the itineraries for members of the government. These trips, including the one that government officials make as part of a federal program for social and economic development of the Kuril Islands (the Sakhalin region), will continue. … We are compelled to state that the Japanese side is again demonstrating overtly its negligence of the commonly recognized results of World War II as it multiplies publicly its ungrounded claims to the Southern Kuril Islands. … Such actions look particularly deplorable on the background of the forthcoming 70th anniversary since the end of World War II.”

Moscow has initiated what it describes as a development project on what it describes as the South Kuril Islands. The disputed territories include the islands of Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan as well as the Habomai archipelago. Tokyo objects that Moscow may change the demographics of the region as part of a de-facto annexation in circumvention of international law. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on recent talks, saying:

“The Russian approaches rest on all the agreements, which have been reached until recently, and they remain unchanged. For example, we reminded the Japanese side that progress on the issue was possible only after we got clarity on whether Japan recognized the postwar historical realities, including the United Nations charter in full measure.”

Moscow does, however, fail to mention that non of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia included, have taken any tangible steps to finally abolish the designation of Japan, as well as Germany and Italy as enemy states to the UN.

In legal terms this means that any UN member State like Russia, the United States, or China, could launch military actions against Japan without a declaration of war. Talks about a Japanese – Russian peace treaty and talks about Japan’s Northern Territories a.k.a. South Kuril Islands can, according to several analysts not be held on a level playing field until the so-called Enemy State Clause is removed from the UN Charter and Russia has signed a peace treaty with Japan.

70 years after the conclusion of WWII the G4 at the UN Security Council continue to hold Japan, Italy and Germany in a de-facto legal limbo as enemy states to the UN, perpetuating the devastating policy of tensions that has evolved since the so-called cold war.

CH/L – nsnbc 24.09.2015