Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a request to the government on the return of the Northern Territories at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister received the letter of request from Ms. Harumi Takahashi, Governor of Hokkaido.

Based on the receipt of the letter, the Prime Minister said in his address,

"I have just received a letter of request on the return of the Northern Territories. I would like to express my respect for the various efforts of the national movement for the return of the Northern Territories.
This weekend, I am scheduled to visit Russia. Considerable time has passed since the last official visit to Russia by the Prime Minister. We face a strange state of affairs in which Japan and Russia have not signed a peace treaty in the 67 years since the end of World War II. At the Summit Meeting with President Putin, I hope to make a fresh start on negotiations to resolve the issue of the attribution of the Four Northern Islands and conclude a peace treaty with Russia. In particular, there are those still alive who once lived on the islands. I want to exert every effort as Prime Minister so that we can achieve the ardent wish of Japan as soon as possible."