Peskov: Russia is quietly conducting negotiations with Japan on Kuril Islands
Russia and Japan are conducting consultations on the issue of the Kuril Islands and they are carrying them out thoroughly and quietly. Acording to Russian Interfax news agency, this was stated by the the Press Secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov.
“As far as the issue of the islands is concerned, we are conducting consultations. They are complex, they do not tolerate extra noise, they don’t tolerate any information injections. This is a very meticulous process which needs a lot of patience,” Peskov said.
Peskov referred to the publications of some Japanese media sources reporting that Moscow and Tokyo are supposedly in talks on the joint management of the islands as ‘information injections’.
“In the morning there is a publication [by Japanese media] with ‘injections’ and by the end of the day the official Tokyo denies it,” Peskov said.
He stated that at the moment Russia and Japan “concentrate on the plan of the economic development” which assumes the implementation of some first-priority projects in the trade, finance and investment cooperation."
Previously, Tokyo denied reports about Japan giving up two Kuril islands to Russia. Japanese officials stated that Japan stands for reaching a peaceful agreement with the Russian Federation on all four islands.
The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, stated the Kuril Islands are integral territories of Japan.