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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed willingness to conclude a peace treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve territorial issues.
What Happened: Kishida, at the National Rally for the Return of the Northern Territories, said it is regrettable that even after 77 years since the end of World War II, a peace treaty with Russia is not yet formed.
“It is extremely regrettable that 77 years after the end of the war, the issue of the northern territories remains unresolved, and a peace treaty has not yet been concluded between Japan and Russia,” Nikkei reported citing Kishida.
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“Currently, Japanese-Russian relations are in a difficult situation due to Russian aggression in Ukraine. However, the Japanese government is determined to resolve the territorial issue and conclude a peace treaty,” Kishida added.
The national rallies for the return of the northern territories are held annually on Feb. 7 to commemorate the first Russian-Japanese treaty signed on this day in 1855.
The meetings are traditionally attended by ministers and deputies of both houses of parliament from the ruling and opposition parties, along with the former residents of the southern part of the Kuriles.
Why Is It Important: Negotiations between Moscow and Tokyo to reach a peace agreement post-World War II have been ongoing since the middle of the last century.
Russia has repeatedly emphasized its sovereignty over the southern part of the Kuriles. In March last year, Moscow announced that it was ending negotiations with Tokyo on the issue of a peace treaty due to the unilateral restrictions imposed by Japan on Russia due to the Ukraine war.
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