Putin, Abe signal no resolution on island dispute

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up two days of talks on Thursday, with numerous economic deals but no big breakthrough on a territorial row that has overshadowed ties since WWII.
Putin was heading home with promises of economic cooperation after appearing to achieve what experts said was a key objective — easing international isolation when Russia faces Western condemnation over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar Assad’s forces.
Abe and Putin agreed to launch talks on joint economic activities on disputed islands at the center of the territorial row as a step toward concluding a peace treaty formally ending WWII, the two sides said in a joint statement.
The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of WWII and 17,000 Japanese residents were forced to flee. The dispute over their sovereignty has prevented the two countries signing a peace treaty.
Abe said he and Putin had taken “an important step” toward a peace treaty but concluding one would not be easy.
“The issue will not be solved if each of us just make their own case,” Abe said at a news conference with Putin. “We need to make efforts toward a breakthrough so that we do not disappoint the next generation. We need to set aside the past and create a win-win solution for both of us.”
Putin dismissed the notion that he was only interested in getting economic benefits from Japan.
“If anyone thinks we are interested only in developing economic links and a peace deal is of secondary importance, that is not the case,” he told the same news conference. “For me, the most important thing is to sign a peace agreement because that would create the conditions for long-term cooperation.”
As the two leaders held their second round of talks on Friday, right-wing activists in trucks mounted with loudspeakers circled the streets not far from the prime ministers’ office, blaring “Return the islands” and “Putin Go Home.”
Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute in the hope of leaving a significant diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China.
Putin, however, would risk tarnishing his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty by compromising.
Russian officials said the two sides had signed a total of 80 documents, including 68 on commercial matters, during Putin’s visit, including private-sector deals. Putin, a judo expert, wrapped up his visit with a stop at the Kodokan Institute, the global judo headquarters, where he and Abe watched a judo performance by two men dressed in what looked like samurai armor.

Source: Arab News