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Japanese PM Pledges Tenacious Effort to Recover Disputed Islands

   VOA News  February 07, 2011
   Japan's Prime Minister Kan attends a rally to call on Russia to return
   a group of islands, in Tokyo, February 7, 2011

Photo: Reuters

   Japan's Prime Minister Kan attends a rally to call on Russia to return
   a group of islands, in Tokyo, February 7, 2011

   Japanese  Prime  Minister  Naoto  Kan is promising his government will
   "tenaciously"  pursue the return of four disputed islands from Russia,
   ahead of a diplomatic mission to Moscow.
   Mr.  Kan  made  the  promise  Monday during a rally by more than 1,000
   people demanding the return of the four islands, known in Japan as the
   Northern  Territories  and  in  Russia  as  the Kurils.  Mr. Kan also
   denounced  a  visit  to  the  islands in November by Russian President
   Dmitry Medvedev, calling it an "unforgivable outrage."
   The  dispute over the islands, captured by the Soviet Union at the end
   of World War II, has prevented the two countries from signing a formal
   peace  treaty for 65 years.  Mr. Kan said he will negotiate patiently
   but  persistently  to  win back the islands and complete a treaty with
   Russia.
   Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara is due to visit Moscow later this week.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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