Russia insists on sovereignty over S. Kuril Islands as based on WWII outcomes, intl law
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russia's sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands is based on the WWII outcomes and international law and has no relation to the 1855 Russian-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, known also as the Treaty of Shimoda.
"We have to point out once again that the Russian Federation's sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands is based on the commonly recognized outcomes of the WWII and the inviolable postwar international legal basis, including the UN Charter. Without prejudice to the Treaty of Shimoda's historic significance, it does not have any relation to this issue," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary published on its website on Saturday on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the establishment of Russian-Japanese relations.
The Treaty of Shimoda, the first diplomatic agreement between Russia and Japan in history, opened the path toward the development of commercial, consular, cultural, and humanitarian ties between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said.
"Against this background, attempts by some Japanese political forces and non-governmental organizations to artificially tie this document to the current peace treaty problem between Russia and Japan, so rationalizing Tokyo's territorial claims on our country, cause disappointment," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Treaty of Shimoda, which was the first Russian-Japanese peace and friendship treaty, was signed on February 7, 1855 to crown Vice Adm. Euphimy Putiatin's outstanding mission, it said.
"The Japanese authorities then voluntarily ended their isolation from the outer world (unlike in the case of the analogous Japanese-U.S. treaty imposed on Japan by force) and established official contacts with the neighboring state," it said.
Japan claims four islands of the Kuril Ridge belonging to Russia, i.e. Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai, referring to the 1855 Treaty of Commerce and Navigation.
Moscow insists that the South Kuril Islands became part of the USSR based on the WWII results, and Russia's sovereignty over them is indisputable and complies with international law.