Japan's diplomatic efforts fall short over territorial issue with Russia
(From The Japan Times November 2 issue)

北方領土問題、日本の外交努力不足

Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara temporarily recalled Ambassador to Moscow Masaharu Kono to hear his report on the circumstances behind Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's Nov. 1 visit to Kunashiri Island and to demonstrate Japan's displeasure over the visit. Kunashiri is one of four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that Japan collectively calls the Northern Territories.

Mr. Medvedev's visit to the island, whose territorial jurisdiction has yet to be settled, is extremely regrettable. But just as regrettable is the failure of the Japanese government, especially the Foreign Ministry, to effectively deal with the visit, which was not unexpected.

Media reports suggest that the ministry did not have concrete information on Mr. Medvedev's visit in advance. Even so, Mr. Medvedev said Sept. 29 in Kamchatka that he would visit the Northern Territories without fail in the near future. Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said that he did not take Mr. Medvedev's statement as meaning that he would actually visit the area. One wonders what kind of information and advice the Foreign Ministry gave Mr. Kan. There is also no indication that the Japanese government tried through diplomatic channels to discourage Mr. Medvedev from making such a controversial visit.

It appears that some younger leaders — Japanese and Russian — are ignorant of the fact that past negotiations between the two nations over the territorial issue were extremely tough and sensitive, and that officials in important posts should be extremely careful about what they do or don't say.

For example, when former Prime Minister Taro Aso in May 2009 and Mr. Maehara in October 2009, respectively, criticized Russia's "self-justification," they only made matters worse.

Careless statements, Mr. Kan's failure to actively work to improve relations with Russia and Mr. Medvedev's visit to Kunashiri Island only serve to obstruct the development of long-term agreements on the territorial issue that have been reached through strenuous efforts by past Japanese and Russian leaders.

メドベージェフ露大統領の国後島訪問に関し、前原外相は河野駐露大使を一時帰国させた。

領有権が未解決である同地への訪問は遺憾なことだが、日本政府、特に外務省が予期可能な訪問にうまく対応できなかったことも遺憾だ。9月末に大統領は北方領土を訪れる意向を示したが、菅首相はその発言が実際の訪問につながると受け止めていなかったという。外務省はどんな情報と助言を首相に提示していたのか。

昨年5月に麻生元首相が、10月に前原氏がロシアの「不法占拠正当化｣を非難したが、そのような発言と、菅首相のなおざりな対露外交、露大統領の訪問は、過去の指導者らが築き上げた領土問題に関する長期的合意の発展を妨げる。