Tokyo protests over recognizing Japanese NGO as undesirable in Russia

Japan protested to Russia after declaring the Japanese non-governmental organization (NGO) Union of Chisima and Habomai Islanders undesirable in the country. Hirokazu Matsuno, Secretary General of the Government of Japan, transmits “RIA News”. .

“What Russia is insisting on is one-sided and does not [реальному положению вещей]”, he said.

Matsuno noted that the NGO is an organization of “former inhabitants of the northern islands and their descendants (inhabitants of the South Kuriles. – Approx. Vedomosti)”. According to him, she is in favor of signing a peace treaty between Russia and Japan. Former residents of the islands “dream that the territorial problem would be solved at least one day earlier,” Matsuno added.

April 21 Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia acknowledged the activities of the “Union of the inhabitants of the islands of Tisima and Habomai” undesirable in the country. According to the department, the organization “poses a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation.” The goal of the NGO is to “seize part of its territory from Russia” – the islands of Iturup, Kunashir and the Lesser Kuril ridge, which are part of the Kuril Islands archipelago, the press service explained.

Russia and Japan do not have a peace treaty following World War II due to the protracted dispute over the South Kuriles. However, the state of war between the two countries has been officially terminated since 1956 – after the conclusion of the Moscow Declaration. According to Tokyo’s position, the Russian Federation should hand over to Japan four southern islands of the Kuril chain (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, Habomai Islands). Moscow, on the other hand, recognizes the USSR declaration of 1956, which refers to the possibility of transferring the two islands after the conclusion of a peace treaty.

In February, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared on the need to conclude a peace treaty and settle the territorial dispute. He stressed that Tokyo has not changed its position on the issue of ownership of the islands that make up the southern part of the Kuriles.

In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova named the issue of a peace treaty with Japan closed. She noted the impossibility of negotiations, pointing to the unfriendly position of Tokyo due to the imposition of sanctions against the Russian Federation. April 19 at the Russian Foreign Ministry declaredthat Russia considers “insignificant” the mentions of the South Kuriles in the Blue Book of Diplomacy of Japan for 2023.