[Eng Sub / Text] 19.01.21 news zero Plus One! - Northern Territories dispute - Sakurai Sho

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... #012 Dark clouds on the Northern Territories dispute ...

The Japan-Russia Summit will be held on 22 Jan,
will there be progress on the Northern Territories dispute which is the focus of the summit?

Russianisation advances on Shikotan Island. Unusual protests in Moscow.

This is the video of Shikotan Island, Northern Territories, taken in December 2018.
Buildings are lined up all over the island, and hotels are built.

Shikotan Island is the smallest island among the four northern islands where people live,
it has a population of around 2,800 people.

If we watch the footage of Shikotan Island in 1981,
we could see a plain town with just old buildings and ships.

However, since 2007, the Russian government started to develop the Northern Territories in earnest.

This fishery processing factory is considered as one symbol of this development.

Chief of factory
"This fishery resources of Shikotan Island are very rich."

There are around 350 people working in this processing factory,
among them there are no less migrant workers from Russia.

In fact, the Russian government sets a higher minimum wage to promote migration to the Northern Territories.

The average monthly salary earned in Shikotan Island and Kunashiri Island is said to be more than double than that earned all over Russia.

In addition, it is said that schools and sports facilities are planned to be built in the future,
the development of the islands by Russia is on steady progress.

On the other hand, people living in the Northern Territories such as Shikotan Island are having opposition.

In November 2018, the two countries announced a consent on accelerating the negotiation of the Peace Treaty based on the Japanese-Soviet Joint Declaration.
The Japanese-Soviet Joint Declaration stipulates that Shikotan Island and Habomai Islands will be handed over to Japan.

Island resident
"I can’t imagine that the island will be handed over.
Everything here can be said to be developed by Russia."

There is even opposition in Moscow, capital of Russia, which is far from the islands.

Demonstrator
"The Kuril Islands including Northern Territories are our territory!"

More than 500 people participated in the demonstrated on 20th despite the freezing temperature.

Demonstration in Moscow is said to be unusual.

In the demonstration, there was also placard with surprising contents as "Let’s hand over Putin instead of Kuril".

Disappointed the response of the Russian government towards the issue of the Northern Territories, voices criticising Putin administration has surfaced.

The approval rating which was once more than 80% has fallen to 66% at the end of last year.

Bearing such public opinion in mind, since the Japan-Russia Summit last November,
the Russian government repeatedly emphasises that it is an understanding of history that the Northern Territories legally became the territory of Russia as a result of the World War II.

Let me organise the issue again.

The Northern Territories, located in the northeast part of Hokkaido,
consists of four islands: Kunashiri Island, Etorofu Island, Habomai Islands, and Shikotan Island.
While Japanese have lived there once,
the Japanese government claims that Russia has illegally occupied the territories after Japan surrendered in the World War II.

The keyword for the existing negotiation of hand-over is the Japanese-Soviet Joint Declaration in 1956.
It is stipulated that, after the conclusion of the Peace Treaty, the two islands Habomai and Shikotan will be handed over to Japan.

Prime Minister Abe and President Putin had a consensus in November 2018 on accelerating the negotiation on Peace Treaty based on this Japanese-Soviet Joint Declaration.

However, there is difference in the scenario that the two sides think about.

Japan has been calling for the returning of all four islands.

However, several Japanese government officials foresee that
the landing point this time would be would be return of two islands plus alpha.
The two islands plus alpha means that in addition to the return of Habomai Islands and Shikotan Island,
there would be agreement that Japan and Russia would jointly advance the economic development of Kunashiri Island and Etorofu Island.

On the other hand, the stance of the Russian government is ...

President Putin
"What in the Japanese-Soviet Joint Declaration is the hand-over based on?
The sovereignty of the islands is not written."

Foreign Minister Lavrov
"The Kuril Islands including the Northern Territories are "territory of Russia".
The sovereignty of the islands is a matter of negotiation."

Aware of the decrease in approval rating, it seems that the Russian government emphasises that the sovereignty belongs to Russia,
and shows its citizens that it will not easily compromise to Japan.

Even if the two islands are handed over, it is done so only because of good intentions.
The two islands are still considered to be territory of Russia and Russian laws would apply.

Will progress be seen in the 25th Japan-Russia Summit?

Source: https://www.ntv.co.jp/zero/articles/1058etqpp3tyt10tqlg.html

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