Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Russia’s ambassador in Tokyo and filed a protest over Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s trip to one of the Kuril Islands.
Earlier in the day, Medvedev arrived in Kunashir, just north of Japan’s Hokkaido island, for his second trip to the disputed Kuril Islands, which the Soviet Union annexed after World War II. Japan claims Kunashir, Shikotan, the Habomai Islets and Iturup as its territory.
“The Russian ambassador set out [Russia’s] position why trips over the country by Russian leaders are absolutely lawful and emphasized that Russia strongly wants to develop relations with Japan,” a Russian diplomatic source said.
Medvedev’s trip to the Kurils concerned the socioeconomic development of the region rather than thorny international issues.
Tokyo’s continued claim over the four southern Kuril Islands – known as the Northern Territories in Japan – has so far prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to end World War II.
In 2010, Medvedev sparked a diplomatic row with Tokyo by making the first ever visit by a Russian leader to the islands. He later said Russia would increase its military presence there. Japan’s then prime minister Naoto Kan called Medvedev’s visit “inexcusable rudeness.”