Foreign Minister of Japan Urged to Go Halves in Kuril Islands
Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Aso came up with informal proposal to halve with Russia the South Kuril Islands and draw the line there, ITAR-TASS reported.
Taro Aso voiced the proposal on Wednesday, during the debate in the Foreign Committee of the lower House of Japan’s parliament. According to the minister, if the northern territories are halved, Japan will have 25 percent of Iturup and some portion of other three islands. It makes no sense to speak of two, three or four islands without thinking of their area, the minister made clear.
For decades, Japan has been endeavoring to get back the so-called northern territories, i.e. the South Kuril’ Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai. The standing of Russia is to stick to the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956, where Moscow agreed to part with the smaller portion of the territory in favor of Japan.
