Russia's row with Japan over disputed islands escalates

07/07/200911:36

MOSCOW, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's upper house of parliament has called Japan's renewed claims on the Kuril islands an "insult to the Russian people," and called for the visa-free travel regime between the islands and Japan to be ended.

Japan's upper house passed a law last Friday calling the four southern islands of the Kuril chain Japanese territory. The islands were annexed by the Soviet Union after WWII.

Russia's Federation Council said in a statement released on Tuesday that it had asked the president to consider ending the visa-free system between Japan and the islands, which has been in force since 1992.

The house has also asked the president "to consider other measures to prevent provocative actions from the Japanese side."

The new amendments passed by Japan's upper house, a month after they had been approved by the lower house, apply to a 1982 law on "special measures for forcing a decision on the problem of the Northern Territories [Japan's term for the islands]," calling them an "integral part of Japan."

The dispute over the islands has so far prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty.

The Russian senators' statement called the passing of the new law "an extremely unfriendly gesture, and an insult to the Russian people, who have always sought good relations with Japan."

Asked about Russia's plans to end the visa-free system at a press conference on Tuesday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said: "We have received no such official information. But taking into account that this issue was decided on the basis of mutual agreement between the countries' foreign ministries, we hope that the Russian side will react appropriately."

A Russian expert on the issue said on Friday that Japan's new law on the Kurils is merely a propaganda move.

"Their position is absolutely rigid, and does not allow for any compromise - this is yet another gesture that I think has a major propaganda factor - in any event we will not hand these islands over to Japan in the foreseeable future," Prof. Vladimir Alpatov, deputy director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RIA Novosti.

Alpatov said the bill was an internal issue for Japan, and had no standing in international law.

"I think this conflict will remain frozen for many years and decades... The Japanese now see us as a weak state, but not so weak that Japan can dictate its conditions. Clearly, there can be no military conflict, and Russia has no intention of handing over the islands through peaceful means."

© RIA Novosti, 2008