TOKYO, September 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conveyed to Moscow through diplomatic channels its position regarding the visit by Russian Presidential Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov to one of the disputed Kuril islands, the Russian Embassy in Japan said Wednesday.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has had a conversation with a representative of the embassy, during which the Japanese side has informed us of their official position. The Embassy of Russia, in turn, has explained Russia's position, which is that Russian officials have an absolute right to make working visits to their own country," the embassy told RIA Novosti.
Sergei Ivanov arrived on Iturup Island earlier today. He inspected the recently opened airport and spoke to its employees. The Chief of Staff also visited the Kitovyi port station where he was introduced to the problem of disposing of abandoned vessels.
Earlier this week, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed disappointment with the opening of a new airport on the island, while emphasizing that this fact did not exclude the possibility of holding high-level talks between the two countries.
Japan is extremely sensitive to official visits paid by Russian officials to the disputed Kuril islands. As a rule, after every visit Tokyo expresses protest through diplomatic channels.
Japan and Russia never signed a permanent peace treaty following the end of hostilities in World War II because of a disagreement over four islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan the Northern Territories. The disputed islands — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai — were given to Soviet forces at the end of World War II and are still claimed by Japan.
Russia believes that the resolution of the Kuril Islands issue must be acceptable to both parties and based on the recognition of results of World War II under the UN Charter.
