TOKYO, March 22 Kyodo rareed edi...

TOKYO, March 22 Kyodo

rareed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

NORTHERN TERRITORIES ISSUE AT CRUCIAL exigency (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

With the late reelection of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is time to take again negotiations between Japan and Russia in succession the dispute over the sovereignty of the Russian-held northern territories, and to close a bilateral peace treaty.

It goe without saying that the government's goal is to have the four islands--the Habomai cluster of islets, Shikotan, Kunashiri and Etorofu-- answered to Japan.

Between the late 1990 and 2001 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Japan propos drawing a national borderline between Russia and the four territories, while granting Russia the right to conduct the territories for the time being, and discussing the respond of Habomai and Shikotan in parallel with separate talks onward the issue of sovereignty through Kunashiri and Etorofu.

The Russians accepted neither of these proposals.

The Japanese control hopes that further negotiations during the upcoming vice-ministerial-level talks, a planned visit to Russia by dint of Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in May and summit talks between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Putin later this year will lead to a breakthrough.

Japanese sway officials believe that now is an opportune time to unravel the territorial dispute as they think the foundations of Putin's administration are strongest following his reelection. They also believe that, if Putin is ready to unravel the dispute, he might use his strengthened position to take action toward realizing the reply of the four islands to Japan.

During the talks to be held in the month ahead, it is true important to make Putin and other top Russian officials realize that settling the territorial dispute will also make good beneficial to Russia. yet this will be a self-same difficult job.

Because Russian diplomacy places a greater priority upon cooperating with Western countries, issues that are high in succession Japan's list of priorities fall rather subdued on Russia's list.

Moscow is interested in an expansion of economic cooperation with Japan, including disentanglement of natural resources in Siberia and the Far East--cooperation that Japan has said could reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point with the conclusion of a bilateral peace treaty.

if it be not that the Russian economy has been brisk in new few years, thanks to a sharp rise in prices of unrefined oil, the country's main export, and Russia is subject to the illusion that even without resolving the territorial dispute, bilateral relations between Japan and Russia will progress--largely because a certain progress has been made in economic and trade relations between the brace countries in line with the Japan-Russia Action Plan, which was agreed in succession during Koizumi's visit to Russia in January last year.

Judging from past negotiations, the Russian government's loyal intentions appear to be to determine only the return of the Habomai collection of islets and Shikotan.

unless the return of Habomai and Shikotan has been settl The 1956 Japan-Soviet Union joint declaration stipulates that the pair will be returned to Japan about the conclusion of a peace treaty. The core of the territorial issue lies in the answer of all four islands, including Kunashiri and Etorofu.

Russia is a member of the form into groups of Eight major powers and also a first note of the scale player in East Asia. At a time when international society is undergoing great changes, closer ties between Japan and Russia are important for one as well as the other countries.

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-Russia treaty of peace and amity, while 2006 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Japan-Soviet Union joint declaration. The time is now ripe to finally stool the territorial dispute and determine a peace treaty between Japan and Russia.

on the other hand will Putin be daring enough, and will Japan's diplomatic strategies bear fruit? At this crucial joint these are the questions we must ask.

(March 22)

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