Japan set to cooperate with Russia despite territorial claims - diplomat
TOKYO. June 28 (Interfax) - The unsettled territorial problem will not slow down Russia-Japan cooperation, Russian division head at the Japanese Foreign Ministry's European department Hideki Uyama told Russian journalists in Tokyo.
"Japan has a certain psychological barrier to relations with Russia without solving this problem, but we are absolutely not going to slow down our cooperation with Russia until the complex problem is gone," Uyama said.
The Japanese government intends to develop cooperation with Russia in all areas, he said.
"Simultaneously, we will be seeking a solution to the complex problem. Naturally, cooperation with Russia will develop," the diplomat said.
The official standpoint of Japan is that "a peace treaty must be concluded through the settlement of the problem of belonging of the four islands (the Kuril Islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai)," Uyama said.
"Our current official stand at the negotiations is the following: if Russia admits the belonging of these islands to Japan, we will be flexible about the concrete date of their return and the return conditions," he said.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry representative recalled that a Japanese visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had been planned for fall, but no precise date had been set.
"It was agreed at the summit that the visit would be paid this fall. It may happen in October or November, but no final decision has been made as yet," Uyama said.
The visit of the Russian foreign minister will continue the April meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Sinzho Abe, he noted.