Japanese, Russian leaders meet in Sakhalin The leaders of Russia and Japan met Wednesday on an island close to their shared border, but made no visible progress on resolving the territorial dispute that has prevented them from signing a treaty formally ending World War II. The islands, which Russia calls the southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories, have been under Russian control since the waning days of World War II. Russia in 2005 suggested that it would cede two of the islands if Japan gave up its claim to the other two, but Japan rejects that idea. "The approach when Russia speaks about two islands and we about four absolutely led to no breakthrough," Aso was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency after the meeting. He said the meeting helped "make an important step toward building strategic relations between the two countries in the Asia-Pacific region" but did not give details, according to the report.
Two or even four Islands back ? What about the southern part of the Sakalin Island itself then ? I suspect the Russians will end up giving the four Islands back if Japan gives up claims on the main Island.
Isn't there sizeable oil reserves on Sakhalin? They won't give that up. And if the Russians do give the Kuriles back to Japan, will they give the lands taken from Finland back as well? There's no need for St. Petersburg to be "out of artillery range" any longer with the long ranged weapons available these days.
This whole area, Kuriles/Sakhalin has been a burr under the saddle for both nations for a REALLY LONG TIME, since way before Japan was even allowing international trade in Japan and still almost totally isolated from the rest of the world. Personally I would wonder at them ever coming to any kind of agreement over the area. They have been worrying this over like two dogs fighting over a bone forever. And with the huge new finds of natural gas on Sakhalin, there is no way the Russians are going to give any of that island away. The Kuriles might be a different matter though. Here is a link to an interesting Timeline, and includes the various treaties that they have signed over the years, and the final one which ended WW2 at the San Francisco peace treaty, which the former Soviet Union didn't sign. Time table of Sakhalin
Yes, they will probably go on about that are for eons, and never solve a thing. You are right about Sakhalin. It will remain Russian too. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Are there any talks or anything about returning Finnish territory at all?
