President Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Kremlin

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe focused not only on his country’s revival of economy by innovative and bold steps but also on interactions with key foreign countries. He has already visited South East Asia and the US.



As part of the foreign policy, Abe visited Moscow on 28th April for a three day trip, the first trip to Russia by a Japanese leader in a decade, as both countries look for ways to counterbalance their increasingly powerful neighbour: China. A group of business leaders accompanied the delegation.



It is noted Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Japanese Prime Minister’s special envoy Yoshiro Mori in February.



The past few years have seen positive dynamics in the Russian-Japanese relations, Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai pointed out in February last. “We are set to have a rather candid opinion exchange on the bilateral agenda,” Polina Chernitsa cited Kawai as saying. Moscow and Tokyo host the Russian-Japanese dialogue on the level of first deputy foreign ministers by turn.



Given the background, Abe’s visit was aimed at giving a new impulse to bilateral ties, which have long been stymied by a long-standing territorial dispute dating from World War II. The Kremlin said that the two sides would discuss “the perspectives of the further development of the whole range of bilateral cooperation” during Abe’s visit.



Both sides discussed prospects for further development of a whole range of bilateral cooperation issues, in the first place in the trade/economic, investment, energy, humanitarian and scientific areas.



President Putin noted that “Russian-Japanese relations develop well, but not without setbacks. Economic cooperation has been developing successfully, including in such sectors as car-making, pharmaceuticals and power engineering. “We might think about joint projects in agriculture.” Putin also said that the past ten years have seen the two countries continue to expand ties in the automotive, timber and energy sector.



Commercial ties:



A number of bilateral documents were signed during the visit, aimed at boosting Russian-Japanese interaction and expanding ties in culture, education and other areas.



Trade agreements was on top of the list, with Japan has been eager to find cheaper supplies of natural gas for power generation – something that Russia has an abundance of. Russia is also on the lookout for a boost to its developing economy – its industries should be greatly improved by the technology and know-how that Japan and its industries can provide.



Among the initiatives expected to be announced was an “investment platform” of up to $1 billion involving the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Russia’s state-run development bank, Vnesheconombank, officials in Moscow said.



“We believe the amount of investment from Japan can be increased by 10 times in the next two to three” years, “said a Russian financial expert.



Regional issues:



Foreign policy issues were also discussed, including the situation on the Korean peninsula after North Korea’s bellicose behaviour in recent weeks troubled both Moscow and Tokyo.



Neighbours in the Pacific region, Japan and Russia have long expressed a desire to expand relations in particular in business, but ties have been limited by the dispute over the Pacific Kuril islands.



The two nations have never formally signed a World War II peace treaty, with Japan maintaining its claim over the southernmost four of the islands, all of which are controlled by Moscow.



However A ray of light in this situation is Abe’s declared intention in February to find a “mutually acceptable solution” over the territorial dispute, the Japanese premier showing a more conciliatory attitude than his predecessors.



Territorial disputes:



It is because of this dispute that the two nations have never formally signed a peace treaty even after WWII. Currently, Japan maintains its claim over the four southernmost islands of the chain, all of which are administered and controlled by Russia.



After Abe took office in December, he and Putin agreed to restart talks on signing a peace treaty. It may be recalled Russian Prime minister Dimitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo by twice, in July 2012 and November 2010, visiting the island of Kunashir which lies just north of Japan’s Hokkaido island.



Medvedev’s first visit to Kunashir in November 2010 – when he still held the post of president – sparked a furious reaction from Tokyo which condemned the trip as an “unforgiveable outrage”.



The four islands claimed by Tokyo are known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The islands have been controlled by Moscow since they were seized by Soviet troops in 1945 at the end of World War II.



Conclusion:



Analysts argue China and Russia have different purposes in the Asia-Pacific region although they are in similar circumstances. Russia is concerned with overall peace and stability in the region while China is worried about Japan’s new policy of militarism.



Japan should promote cooperative relations with Russia. Then, using its closer ties with Russia as a “lever,” Japan should approach China to improve the volatile situation in East Asia and promote stability in Northeast Asia.



Barrister Harun ur Rashid, Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.