 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
|
|||
| Top What's up around the Prime Minister February, 2004 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
|
Prime Minister Attends 2004 National Rally to
Demand the Return of the Northern Territories
February 7 is Northern Territories Day, which was established in the hope of resolving the issue of the Northern Territories and achieving true peace and relations of friendship and mutual trust between Japan and Russia. This year the main theme of the Rally was "Northern Territories - continuing the strenuous movement to demand their return." In his address, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Last year I held summit talks with President Vladimir Putin on three occasions, through which I gained understanding that President Putin also recognized that the conclusion of a peace treaty after resolving the issue of the Northern Territories would be to Russia's benefit as well as Japan's. We must disseminate the fact from Russia's political leaders to the people that it is only when Japan and Russia build normal relations that the great potential for relations between the two countries will drastically develop. In January this year I paid a visit to Matsuyama city, where there are the graves of a number of Russian prisoners of war from the time of the Russo-Japanese War. These graves are kept clean and tidy by the people of Matsuyama even today. I was impressed to understand that even during the Russo-Japanese war, adhering to international laws, despite the fact that the Russians were the prisoners of the enemy nation, their families were invited to Japan, or that those prisoners were warmly received, being allowed to take hot spring baths and go sight-seeing around the city. I would like the Russian people to know about such acts. I will continue to maintain a consistent policy of concluding a peace treaty after resolving the issue of Northern Territories while strengthening mutual confidence between Japan and Russia, thereby making strenuous efforts towards resolution of the issue."
|
