Konflikt mit Russland: Japan protestiert gegen Putins Besuch auf umstrittener Insel
Der Streit um die vier südlichsten Inseln der Kurilen belastet die Beziehungen zwischen Tokio und Moskau schwer. Der Territorialstreit besteht seit Jahrzehnten.
Tokyo - The Japanese government has lodged a "strong protest" against Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, according to the country's Foreign Ministry in Tokyo. The disputed group of islands, known as the Northern Territories, are claimed by Japan as "native Japanese territory," the ministry stated.
Russian state media earlier reported that Putin had visited Iturup Island for the first time, which is known in Japan as Etorofu. During his visit, Putin reportedly toured a fish factory, a hospital, and a school. The island is one of the four southernmost Kuril Islands, which are claimed by both Russia and Japan and are currently under Russian administration.
The territorial dispute over the islands has strained ties between Tokyo and Moscow for decades. The Kuril Islands are a fish-rich group of islands in the Pacific that were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II from Japan. However, both sides have continued to dispute the sovereignty of the four southernmost Kuril Islands, which has prevented a peace treaty from being signed.
Strategically located and just a few kilometers from Japan's Hokkaido island, the Kuril Islands hold military significance for Russia.
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