Japan says disputed islands ‘illegally occupied’ by Russia as ties worsen
- The government used the expression in its annual foreign policy report to describe the islands, which Moscow calls the Kurils and Tokyo the Northern Territories
- Japan also said the Ukraine crisis would stall its peace treaty talks with Russia
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The two nations have long been engaged in attempts to agree a post-World War II treaty, but the islands held by Moscow and claimed by Tokyo remain a key sticking point.
This year’s Diplomatic Bluebook report comes at a time when tough sanctions are imposed on Russia by Japan and its G7 partners, and ahead of a key revision to Tokyo’s national security strategy later this year.
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“The greatest concern between Japan and Russia is the Northern Territories,” it said, calling them “Japanese territories over which Japan holds sovereign rights, but are currently illegally occupied by Russia”.
Similar language had been used in previous years but without the “illegally occupied” phrase.
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Moscow said it would drop the talks last month, citing the “impossibility” of continuing discussions “with a country that has taken an openly hostile position and is striving to cause harm to the interest of our country”.
Friday’s report took a cautious tone on China, even though Japan has previously expressed concern about Beijing’s increasing maritime activities in the region.
“It is important to build a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship,” it said, while reiterating concern over Beijing’s “attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas”.
