Breaking! Lavrov: If Japan Wants Peace, Why Does it Join With West In Condemning Russia?

Hirofumi Sugizaki, Kyodo News, Japan: "Thank you, Maria Vladimirovna. Hello, Sergey Viktorovich. I'm Hirofumi Sugizaki from Kyodo News, Japan. My question is, of course, about the peace treaty between... We've recently begun a new round of negotiations on a new basis. The treaty is supposed to bring our bilateral relations to a principally new level. The treaty should be approved by both nations. The only thing I can't understand and probably Japan can't either is that you imposed preconditions which provide that first of all, Japan shall recognize all of the results of WWII, including Russia's sovereignty over the disputed islands.
Please, tell me, isn't it an ultimatum that you criticize in diplomacy? It looks like you demand another unconditional surrender from Japan. I also can't understand your logic. We're talking about the ownership of the islands. If Japan recognizes the sovereignty of the Russian Federation over the islands, then the matter will be closed and there will be no issues. In this case, what will we negotiate? Thank you very much".

 

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs: "You know, I've already made a statement about it right after the negotiations with my colleague Tarō Kōno. I'll reiterate it. Recognition of the results of WWII isn't an ultimatum or a precondition. It's an inevitable and essential factor of the modern international system. With the support of the USSR, in 1956, Japan became a member of the UN, signed and ratified the UN Charter containing Article 107, providing that any result of WWII can't be invalidated. That's why we actually don't demand anything from Japan. We just urge our Japanese neighbors to bring their practical actions into conformity with their obligations under the UN Charter, the San Francisco declaration, and a number of other treaties, including the ones you mentioned. What does our position that Japan should bring its approaches in conformity with the UN Charter mean? The laws of your country have the term "Northern Territories". It's introduced in a number of laws, including the law adopted not long ago, last September. It links the realization of the joint initiative of President Putin and Prime Minister Abe to carry out joint economic activities on the islands with the necessity to return the Northern Territories. Nobody agreed to do that. It directly contradicts your obligations under the UN Charter. That's why it isn't a precondition. It's just our desire to understand why Japan is the only country in the world which can't say: I recognize the results of WWII in full? This is just the way it is.

Of course, there are a number of other aspects. I wouldn't like to talk about the issue of the military-political alliance with the US and deployment of the US bases in the territory of Japan again. It has been covered in a detailed way. The presidents also talked about the necessity to qualitatively improve our relations, as you fairly noted, in every area such as economy, trade, culture, the humanitarian sphere in general, but in the international sphere as well. Of course, to solve any complicated issues, not only the issue of the peace treaty, there are a number of issues to be solved by our Japanese colleagues and us.

It's necessary that we feel like partners with the Japanese in the international arena, but not like countries which are on opposite sides. So, Japan joined not all but a number of sanctions which were imposed against our country. It can hardly be reconciled with the formation of relations of a principally new level. Japan supports the anti-Russian statements made by the Group of Seven. In votes on all of the UN resolutions which Russia is interested in, Japan votes against us but not in our favor. And literally, before Tarō Kōno visited the Russian Federation, he went to Paris where the meeting between the defense and foreign ministers of France and Japan was held. After the meeting, they adopted a declaration. If you read it, of course, you'll understand that there's a long way for us to come even to understand the necessity to search for constructive approaches which make our positions closer but don't have the character of condemnation of any of the participants of our bilateral communication, let alone becoming partners in international affairs".