Moskovsky Komsomolets: "Returning Kuril Islands Becomes a Matter of Honour"
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin responded to Japan's proposal to give half of the islands with neither a "yes" nor a "no".
During Putin's visit to Tokyo yesterday, the territorial issue again came to the forefront. At a news conference after the talks, Putin promised that President Dmitry Medvedev would discuss all options for resolving the problem, including this proposal, with the Japanese Prime Minister at the G8 summit in July. However, discussing is entirely different from yielding.
Putin followed an ambitious programme in the Japanese capital. The participants in the Russian-Japanese business forum were asked to stand and applaud at his entrance into the hall. They stood and applauded. Putin told the audience about the Government's anti-crisis plan. He noted with pessimism that "the crisis will affect Russo-Japanese economic relations", but he nonetheless urged cooperation in every possible way. When the Prime Minister was leaving the hall, all those present were asked to see him off with thundering applause. They applauded.
Putin made one more speech at a meeting of Russian and Japanese governors. After the speech, Yury Luzhkov told journalists that the next forum would take place in Moscow. Mr Luzhkov is famous not only as the Mayor of Moscow, but also the Co-Chairman of the Russian-Japanese Council of Wise Men.
I asked him what the Council was doing now. His answer was pessimistic. "The Council of Wise Men has ceased to exist. It is dead," he said mournfully. "This happened because the Japanese Co-Chairman, Yoshiro Mori (Japan's former Prime Minister - N.G.), had political problems, and told me he was planning to suspend activities on his side. I told Putin about this, and we agreed that the Council had outlived its use." Mr Luzhkov also said with regret that the Council used to help neutralise Japan's requests about the Kurils: "We have managed to persuade our colleagues that pressure on Moscow will lead nowhere, and that any progress was only possible when we cooperate with each other." In conclusion, Mr Luzhkov said: "The islands are ours, and we have the right not to give them to anyone!"
During his visit to Tokyo, Putin met with the current Prime Minister, Taro Aso, as well as two of his predecessors, Mr Mori and Junichiro Koizumi. Mr Mori even interrupted his African tour to meet with Putin. According to MK information, he implored Putin to arrive exactly on time, without delay, because he had to fly to Dublin right after the meeting. Putin was right on time, demonstrating rare punctuality.
Several agreements were signed as a result of Putin's talks with Mr Aso. At the news conference after the talks, Mr Taro started talking about the Kurils without waiting for questions from journalists. "Putin also said during his presidency that he would work to remove obstacles to the resolution of the problem," he recalled. Japanese journalists asked him about his attitude to the proposal to divide the islands by half. Putin avoided a direct answer, saying that there are also different approaches to this problem in Russia. "I think we should be inclined towards the portion of public opinion which wants to have this problem resolved. Russia is ready to discuss this issue," he said.
Putin said that President Dmitry Medvedev will meet with Mr Aso at the G8 summit in July, and will again discuss the territorial issue. "I believe all alternatives for resolving the problem, including those you mentioned, will be discussed," he said. Putin's words probably reassured the Japanese, but this was a non-binding promise. A source in the Russian delegation told MK that Russia is certainly ready to discuss the territorial issue, but no more than that.
The presentation of the book "Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin", which had been translated into Japanese, was supposed to become the last event of the trip. This event had not started by the time this material went to press. In the past, the book was published in Korean. But Putin still has something to strive for; there are many other languages in the world.
Japanese fighting for the Kurils with Russian obscenities
By Yury Sinaleyev
Not a single visit to Japan by a Russian high-ranking official has taken place without the accompaniment of the noisy political protesting of the situation of the Northern Territories. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit was no exception.
Although it is clear from polls and private conversations that the overwhelming majority of the Japanese favour a normal and gradual dialogue with Russia, a sizable portion of Japanese society has very radical views. This applies not only to ultra-right nationalists, but also to the Communist Party of Japan. The former are demanding return of the Northern Territories alone, whereas the latter insist on the "return of all Kuril Islands located to the south of the Kamchatka Peninsular..."
Since Monday, the police have sealed off the districts adjacent to the Russian Embassy and the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, where a large part of the Russian delegation accompanying Putin was staying. Several special forces buses, groups of seven to ten policemen constantly running along the perimeter of the police line, armed vehicles with water cannons, and secret agents with portable transmitters dressed in identical jackets - all demonstrated the readiness of Japanese law-enforcement bodies to prevent any provocations. Incidentally, while swearing rudely into megaphones, the groups of nationalists dressed in military camouflage with Japanese flag bandanas did not cross the line at the hotel.
Another show took place near the Russian Embassy. The demonstrators here did not merely walk. As usual, black buses with the flag of the Japanese Empire from World War II were moving around the embassy. Loud speakers broadcast victorious marches, appeals to return the Northern Territories, and...Russian obscenities. During such demonstrations, the Japanese often use Russian obscenities. Although this has become a tradition, they did attempt for the first time to break the perimeter with a bus and approach the embassy. In a matter of seconds, a barrier was placed in front of the bus, and commandos in armour appeared.
