Japan should examine new approach to solve the territorial dispute
(From The Japan Times Feb. 21 issue)

北方領土問題への「新アプローチ」とは

In a meeting in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin, Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed Feb. 18 to accelerate efforts to solve the sovereignty dispute over four islands off Hokkaido by pursuing a "creative and unconventional approach." They also agreed that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Japan in May. It is hoped that the Aso-Medvedev meeting will help accelerate progress in the territorial talks. But Tokyo should be cautious about Russia's modus operandi of trying to get as much economic cooperation as possible from Japan while putting off the territorial talks.

The meeting took place ahead of a ceremony Feb. 18 to mark the start of Russia's first production plant for Japan-bound liquefied natural gas, part of the Sakhalin-2 oil and natural gas development project in which Japanese firms are taking part. It would ensure about 7 percent of Japan's LNG imports.

Tense ties with Europe, the rise of China and the battering of the Russian economy by the global recession, and steep falls in oil prices have apparently made Moscow turn its eyes toward Japan, from which it can expect much-needed economic and technological cooperation. Mr. Medvedev has made energy development and infrastructure construction in Siberia and the Russian Far East priority policies.

Tokyo hopes that progress in economic cooperation and acceleration in the territorial talks will go together. But the content of the "creative and unconventional approach," which was proposed by the Russian side, is unclear. Japan should carefully examine this approach, and continue to remind Russia that without a solution to the territorial dispute, full-scale Japanese investment in and economic cooperation with Russia are impossible.

In January, Russia caused stoppage of the delivery of Japanese humanitarian aid to the disputed islands, and threatened to wreck visa-free exchanges between Japanese citizens and Russian residents of the islands by requiring disembarkation cards for Japanese to enter there. Whether Russia will offer a satisfactory solution to this issue will serve as the first test of Russia's intentions to deepen bilateral ties.

麻生首相とメドベージェフ露大統領はロシアのサハリンで、北方領土交渉を「独創的で型にはまらないアプローチ」で前進させることで合意、プーチン首相の5月訪日も決まった。欧州とのきしみ、中国の台頭、露経済悪化で日本の経済力や技術への関心が高まったのだろう。極東シベリアでのエネルギー開発やインフラ整備はロシアの優先政策だ。

ロシア側が提案した「アプローチ」は具体性に欠ける。日本は領土交渉の前進なしでの投資や経済協力は不可能だと主張し続けるべきだ。北方島への日本支援団が先月、ロシア側に出入国カード提出を求められた人道支援中止問題について、ロシアがどう解決策を講じるかで両国関係発展への意欲が試されよう。