Russian government adopts Kuril Islands development program

The Russian government adopted a program for social and economic development of the Far East’s Kuril Islands to 2025, the government’s website reported on Monday.

Among the tasks outlined in the program there are: construction of cargo-passenger vessels, helicopters for ongoing air and sea passenger and cargo transportation between the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and the mainland.

The program sets the tasks to reconstruct road infrastructures in the Kunashir Island, establishment of a modern system for analysis and prevention of natural calamities, as well as integration of Kuril grids into the national system, construction of houses and engineering infrastructures in Kunashir, Paramushir, Iturup and Shikotan, modernization of the energy infrastructures, construction and reconstruction of social facilities and development of the Kuril islands’ tourism potential.
Kuril islands territorial dispute

Russia and Japan have no peace treaty signed after World War II. Settlement of the problem inherited by Russia’s diplomacy from the Soviet Union is hampered by the years-long dispute over the four islands of Russia’s Southern Kurils - Shikotan, Khabomai, Iturup and Kunashir, which Japan calls its northern territories.

After World War II, in September 1945, Japan signed the capitulation, and in February 1946, the Kuril Islands were declared territories of the Soviet Union.

During the Cold War, Moscow did not recognize the territorial problem, but in October 1993, when Russian president Boris Yeltsin was on an official visit in Japan, the existence of the problem was confirmed officially. However, the two countries have reached no compromise over the dispute yet.