March 23, 2022

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on March 22 at a press conference in the Diet building commented on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement that Russia will halt negotiations with Japan regarding the conclusion of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan.

Koike pointed out that the Putin administration is conducting the invasion of Ukraine which tramples on the UN Charter and international humanitarian law. He said, “There is no requirement for Japan to sit at the negotiating table for a peace treaty with such a government.”

Koike continued to say, “The Russian ministry cited Japan’s imposition of sanctions on Russia in reaction to its aggression on Ukraine as a reason for the suspension of talks. This is off the mark.”

Furthermore, Koike said, “At the same time, the Japanese government should fully reconsider its diplomatic stance towards Russia.”

Koike pointed out that the Japanese government since the second Abe regime has refrained from criticizing Russia’s hegemonic acts and sought to establish a trusting relationship between PM Abe and President Putin in the expectation that such relations would have a positive impact on the negotiations regarding the Japan-Russia territorial issue in which successive Japanese governments had laid claim to the four islands (Kunashiri, Habomai, Shikotan, and Etrofu). Koike added that as a result of this approach to the territorial issue, Japan has effectively changed its policy of demanding the return of all four islands to one settling the issue with the return of two islands. He said that the government should fully rethink its negotiation strategy.

Koike noted that the Russian Foreign Ministry in its statement stated that it decided to suspend visa-free trips to the Russian-held four islands by former Japanese islanders. Koike said, “In response to demands of former islanders, Japan and Russia concluded an agreement on visa-free travel. It is totally unjust for Russia to unilaterally bring a halt to this agreement. The JCP strongly protests against Russia’s decision.”