Japan attempts to redraw post-war borders
Published: 09 July, 2009, 14:23
The territorial dispute between Russia and Japan over the Kuril Islands dominated discussions as President Dmitry Medvedev meets Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on the sidelines of the G8.
Well said 007, its time to put our foot down firmly, and put an end to any ideas that these islands will be anything other than Russian. Yes we should be open to all business and economic deals. But we need end this debate now.
Should the Japanese get the islands back, surely they are to give the USA the opportunity to create yet another military base. Indeed they know they lost the war, thing is the USA is still occupying their country and nobody complains, so, bad luck to them, Russia should keep the islands for ever.
Gus you made a very important point, any future peace treaty should explicitly deny the possibility for any foreign bases on Japanese soil. This shoul be made a firm condition, meaning the US would have to leave. For me it is article/clause number 1.
Russians took those islands from Japan without their agreement or treaty. Rusians are illegal occupiers.
kss - These are Russian islands If you can get the land back from the USA for the Red Indians or British, Kosovo back for Serbia, N Ireland back for Ireland..... the list is huge, then I suppose in light of this we could say you have changed International law.
If Japan does not wish any better future relationship with Russia, Japan will keep its position as claiming the islands their own territory. If they wish to improve the relationship with Russia, they will ease their position on this matter or even give away the claim. There always be the reason for its action especially on the international politics. Russia announce Japan that the politics and business should never be discussed on the same table, but Japan is keeping its claim of historical territories as the sets of the economical/business issues. From this point of view, Japan does not need any better relationship with Russia more than Russia needs from Japan. In the end, as long as Russia to keep its position as the world raw material exporter, Japan simply choose another partner to import the material. Yet, for Russia, without Japanese technology of the nuclear reactor, Russia cannot keep its position as the world largest energy exporter for the next 10 years.
Doesn’t Japan know it lost the war? I believe there is great opportunity for joint development, some kind of free trade area and joint citizenship, but Russia must limit the negotiations to ‘business space’. The islands banks will run on the Ruble and the BRIC… that must never be negotiable. If Japan is honest about needing space, there is a solution but those islands will never turn into another Japan of Israel. I wonder if Japanese citizens actually know who runs their central bank ;) Lets make sure this financial crisis results in a better world.