New, creative approach to solve territorial dispute is imperative
(From The Japan Times May 14 issue)

領土問題解決に必要な新アプローチ

In meeting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Tokyo on May 12, Prime Minister Taro Aso apparently wanted to achieve some progress in the Northern Territories issue. But Mr. Putin apparently gave priority to strengthening bilateral economic ties. Thus the two leaders mostly talked past each other. Mr. Aso only managed to have the Russian side agree to continue efforts to solve the territorial dispute over the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.

The Tokyo meeting followed a February meeting in Sakhalin between Mr. Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, at which the two agreed to take a "new, creative approach" to solve the territorial row. Mr. Aso, who will meet with the president again in July during the Group of Eight summit, wanted to know whether Mr. Putin is ready to take the same approach.

Mr. Putin said to Mr. Aso that "no matter how difficult problems exist, they can be solved if they are problems between friends." He also said Russia wants to remove the "negative legacy" as Japan does. Asked by a reporter about a proposal by a Japanese official for returning "3.5" of the four islands, he said every option will be discussed at the July meeting. But he refrained from discussing any specific steps to solve the territorial dispute.

The two leaders reached a rather general agreement toward the eventual solution of the territorial issue. They agreed to accelerate the work to try to find "methods" acceptable to both sides.

In the economic and other fields, however, Mr. Aso and Mr. Putin produced agreements that have substance. The nuclear agreement envisages Japan providing Russia with technology to build nuclear power plants in exchange for Japan's access to Russia's uranium resources and enrichment capabilities. The two leaders also produced a mutual legal assistance treaty, a customs mutual assistance agreement and a memorandum to cooperate in preventing the export of illegal fishery catches.

It is imperative that Japan work out a strategy to utilize expanded bilateral cooperation in various fields, including economics, energy, and technological innovation, as leverage toward deepening mutual trust and solving the territorial dispute.

ロシアのプーチン首相との会談で北方領土問題解決の糸口を見いだそうとした麻生首相に対し、プーチン氏は経済貿易関係強化を主眼とし、領土問題では交渉継続を約束するにとどまった。

氏は「どんな難しい問題でも、友人同士の間では解決できると確信する」、「負の遺産」は取り除くべき、7月の会談では3.5島返還を含めあらゆる選択肢が議論されると述べたが、具体策の話し合いは避けた。具体的な合意としては、原子力協定、刑事共助条約、関税協力相互支援協定、水産物の密漁防止協力に関する覚書などの署名がなされた。日本は経済、エネルギー、技術革新の分野での日露協力関係強化をてこに、相互信頼を確立し領土問題を解決する戦略を立てるべきだ。