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Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus Section 5 Section 5 Chapter 2 Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus the Joint economic activities on the Four Overview Northern Islands. Furthermore, a special Bilateral relations between Japan and grave visit by airplane was conducted for Russia have the greatest underlying the first time as a part of humanitarian potential. measures for the former island residents. Given the rapidly changing strategic In this way, the matters agreed2 on the environment of the Asia-Pacific region, occasion of President Putin’s visit to Japan developing relations with Russia as in December 2016 have been taking shape. Japan’s appropriate partner in the region While Japan has political dialogues at contributes to Japan’s national interest and various levels including the summit level and regional peace and prosperity. With such promotes overall Japan-Russia cooperation understanding, Japan-Russia cooperation in a wide range of fields, the Government progressed in a wide range of areas in of Japan intends to energetically continue 2017, discussions on various levels were negotiations with Russia to conclude a peace held, including four Summit Meetings, and treaty through the resolution of the issue of five Foreign Ministers’ Meetings. Progress attribution of the Four Northern Islands. was also made in cooperation between Countries in Central Asia and the Japan and Russia on the topics of politics, Caucasus are situated in a location of security, economy, culture, and human geopolitical importance that connects exchanges among other matters. Asia, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Regarding the Northern Territories Issue, and have abundant natural resources which is the greatest concern between such as oil, natural gas and uranium. The Japan and Russia, five candidate projects1, importance of this region is also highlighted which will be undertaken at an early stage, in the context of efforts to seek the stability have been designated in the context of of the whole region and its respective 1 (1) Project of propagation and aquaculture of marine products, (2) greenhouse vegetable cultivation project, (3) development of tours compatible with the islands’ features, (4) introduction of wind-power generation, and (5) garbage volume reduction measures 2 As a result of the Japan-Russia Summit Meeting in December 2016, the two leaders declared their sincere resolve to address the issue of a Peace Treaty, as well as agreed to begin negotiations on implementation of the Joint economic activities on the Four Northern Islands. In addition, the two leaders agreed on improving procedures for grave visits of the former island residents. DIPLOMATIC BLUEBOOK 2018 143 外交青書-英語版30-2-5.indd 143 2018/09/07 8:45:36 Chapter 2 Japan’s Foreign Policy that Takes a Panoramic Perspective of the World Map countries, and to address key issues which further improvement in consumption and the international community faces such as investment, as well as weaker inflation the fight against terrorism, and measures to and increased wages, indicating a trend counter illicit drugs. of recovery. However, some factors for In 2017, Japan and the countries in instability remain, including real incomes Central Asia and Caucasus celebrated the still showing negative growth. 25th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations (See Column “Sharing C Russian Diplomacy the Appeal of Central Asia – Starting Russia, and the European countries with Comics and Cuisine for a Milestone and the U.S. remained in confrontation Year”). Japan continues to work for the because of the Ukrainian situation as well strengthening of bilateral ties with these as suspicions that Russia interfered with countries through VIP visits, etc., and will be the U.S. election. Relations between Russia continuing initiatives to promote regional and the U.S. have not showed signs of cooperation utilizing the framework of the improvement, evident by the exchanges of “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue, etc. retaliatory measures against each other. Russia maintains close ties with China, 1 Russia working for connecting the Eurasian (1) Situation of Russia Economic Union (EAEU) with the “Belt and A Internal Situation in Russia Road” Initiatives, as well as implementing After receiving the overwhelming support two joint military exercises. of public opinion after the “annexation” In the Middle East, Russia has engaged of Crimea in March 2014, President Putin in diplomacy using its unique position maintained a high approval rate throughout in conducting dialogues with various the entire year of 2017. On the other hand, countries within the region. In particular, Prime Minister Medvedev’s corruption in Syria, President Putin ordered Russian scandal caused large-scale protests in troops dispatched to the country to begin March, while anti-government protests led withdrawing in December, while promoting by the opposition parties were held in June a political dialogue process as well as and October. cooperating with Iraq and Turkey. Also, Russia has maintained a traditional B Russian Economy cooperative relationship with the CIS The Russian economy saw sluggish (Commonwealth of Independent States), growth since the second half of 2014 while exercising diplomacy via multinational due to the fall in international oil prices frameworks including the BRICS (Brazil, and economic sanctions by the European Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the countries and the U.S. But the downturn Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). came to a stop with the stabilization of oil prices in 2016, and the country’s GDP (2) Japan-Russia Relations growth rate improved to minus 0.2%. In A Japan-Russia Relations in the Asia- 2017, the GDP growth rate bounced back Pacific Region to +1.5% (preliminary estimate) amid In recent years, Russia places importance 144 DIPLOMATIC BLUEBOOK 2018 外交青書-英語版30-2-5.indd 144 2018/09/07 8:45:36 Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus Section 5 on the development of the Russian Far such as the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration East and the East Siberia and has been of 1956, the Tokyo Declaration of 1993, proactively enhancing relations with the the Irkutsk Statement of 2001, and on the 3 states in the Asia-Pacific region that is a principles of law and justice . Chapter 2 center of the growth of the global economy. In 2017, during active political dialogues, The development of the relations with including four Summit Meetings and five Russia as a partner in the Asia-Pacific Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, the matters region contributes not only to Japan’s agreed4 between the two leaders on the national interests but also to peace and occasion of President Putin’s visit to Japan prosperity of the region. Japan and Russia at the end of 2016 have been taking shape. have developed cooperative relations in Regarding the Joint economic activities on various fields including politics, security, the Four Northern Islands, following the economy, culture and people-to-people Foreign Ministers Meetings in February exchange. and March as a result of the Japan-Russia On the other hand, the greatest concern Summit Meeting held in Moscow at the between Japan and Russia is the Northern end of April, the two countries agreed to Territories Issue. Holding frequent dialogues send a joint public and private research between the two leaders and Foreign team to the Four Northern Islands, and Ministers, the Government of Japan has the first field survey on the islands was been energetically continuing negotiations conducted in June. Following the Japan- with Russia to conclude a peace treaty Russia Summit Meeting held during the G20 through the resolution of the issue of the Hamburg Summit (Germany) in July, and attribution of the Four Islands. the first Foreign Ministers’ Meetings since Foreign Minister Kono took office in August B The Northern Territories and (Manila, the Philippines), the Japan-Russia Negotiations for Conclusion of a Summit Meeting was held in Vladivostok Peace Treaty in September, and as a result, the five The Northern Territories Issue is the candidate projects5 were designated, while greatest concern between Japan and Russia. both countries shared the view that they will Japan’s position is that the Four Northern explore legal frameworks that do not harm Islands belong to Japan. The Government the positions of either side and will start of Japan has been energetically continuing from those which are viable. Subsequently, negotiations with Russia under its consistent following the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on basic policy of concluding a peace treaty the occasion of the UN General Assembly with Russia through the resolution of the in September, the second field survey on issue of the attribution of the Four Northern the Four Northern Islands was concluded Islands on the basis of the agreements and in October. In the Japan-Russia Summit documents created by the two sides so far, Meeting held during the Vietnam APEC 3 Way back when the Soviet Union continued denying the presence of a territorial issue itself, Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira pro- posed to refer the Northern Territories Issue to the International Court of Justice in October 1972, which Foreign Minister Gromyko of the Soviet Union turned down. At present, the Russian side admits the necessity to conclude a peace pact through bilateral nego- tiations with Japan, engaging in negotiations for the solution of the issue. 4 2-5 See footnote 2 of the Overview 5 2-5 See footnote 1 of the Overview DIPLOMATIC BLUEBOOK 2018 145 外交青書-英語版30-2-5.indd 145 2018/09/07 8:45:36 Chapter 2 Japan’s Foreign Policy that Takes a Panoramic Perspective of the World Map Summit Meeting, the two leaders agreed to accelerate consideration in order to give shape to the candidate projects towards the spring of 2018. Furthermore, specific way of further work was confirmed at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting upon Foreign Minister Kono’s visit to Russia at the end of November.
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