KHABAROVSK, Nov 19: The return of Russia and Japan to the 1956 joint declaration on negotiations on a peace treaty does not mean an automatic transfer of Kuril Islands to the Japanese side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.
The leaders of Russia and Japan, Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe, had previously met in Singapore, reaching agreement on advancing negotiations on a peace treaty based on the 1956 Soviet-Japanese joint declaration, the only document recognized by both countries.
The declaration stipulates, among other things, that Japan will regain control over Habomai islets and Shikotan in the Kuril Islands archipelago following the conclusion of the peace treaty with Russia. According to media reports, Abe promised Putin that if Habomai and Shikotan were transferred to Japan, US military bases would not be established there. “It’s difficult to negotiate without without some kind of base. Therefore, both leaders decided to take the 1956 declaration as the basis. Can we say that this means automatic transfer of some territories? Absolutely not. Actually, president Putin said that when answering journalists’ questions,” Peskov said. He refuted rumors about some kind of already concluded separate deal about the transfer of the islands. “It is not so, and it cannot be so,” he assured. According to him, the parties can reach a compromise on the issue. (AGENCIES)
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