Russia–Japan: No breakthrough on the Kuril Islands

On 15–16 December 2016, the Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Japan. The main issue discussed with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the development of methods for the implementation of a formula long ago proposed by Russia for resolving the territorial dispute over the Southern Kuril Islands.

The results of the visit include the signing of a declaration on joint economic activity on the disputed islands and on visa facilitations for their former Japanese residents. In addition to this, around ninety intergovernmental and business agreements were signed worth a total of around US$2.5 billion.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Announcement of a breakthrough in Russian-Japanese relations http://www.europeansources.info/record/announcement-of-a-breakthrough-in-russian-japanese-relations/

ESO: Background information: Japan-Russia Summit. Time to exploit complementarities? http://www.europeansources.info/record/japan-russia-summit-time-to-exploit-complementarities/

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