Russia’s detention of Japanese on disputed islands irks Japan
Japan has lodged a diplomatic protest with Russia over the detention of a Japanese interpreter visiting one of the disputed islands claimed by both countries, demanding his swift return.
Japanese media said the man was stopped by Russian border guard Sunday while on a visa-free trip to Kunashiri, one of the four islands off Russia's far eastern coast and just north of Japan.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday Tokyo “strongly protested through diplomatic channels,” urging the immediate release of its citizen.
Ties between Moscow and Tokyo have been strained for decades over the islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as part of the Kuril Islands.
All of the Kuril islands, located in the Sea of Okhotsk, have been administered by Russia since the end of World War II, when its forces seized the islands following Japan’s surrender in the war.
Japan, however, claims sovereignty over four of them -- Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai.
“We also told (Russia) we cannot accept any acts based on the assumption that Russia has the right to administer the Northern Territories,” Suga said.
It is the first time that a Japanese national has been held on one of the islands at the heart of the territorial row after visiting them under the special bilateral visa program that began in 1992.
The program allows visa-free exchanges between Japanese citizens and Russian residents of the islands.
Local Russian media reported, meanwhile, that a Japanese man carrying ¥4 million ($40,000) in cash was held Saturday on the grounds that he had not declared his possession of the money.
The dispute over the islands has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty to formally end wartime hostilities.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in May to revive talks aimed at resolving the territorial dispute.
Japan's special envoy for Japan-Russia relations Chikahito Harada and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov are scheduled to hold their second round of talks on the issue in Moscow on Friday.
Japanese media have recently reported that Abe and Putin will hold talks early next month in the Russian city of Vladivostok, though Tokyo has made no formal announcement.
Iran’s unprecedented strikes against Israel ‘legitimate’: Malaysia PM
Australia police arrest man after reports of stabbing in western Sydney
Six killed, several injured in Sydney stabbing spree
VIDEO | Erdogan breaks silence, backs Iran’s reprisal attack on Israel
VIDEO | Toronto activists block Canada-US rail line in support of Gaza
Iran says informed US of retaliatory operation against Israel
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | London demonstration calls for UK to stop exporting arms to Israel
US secretly pressing countries into nixing Palestinian statehood: Cables
VIDEO | Israel impregnability perished
VIDEO | Top Iran official visits Syria to unite efforts in combating terrorism in region
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
