Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call at the Prime Minister's Office from the top winners of the 28th High School Speech Contest on the Northern Territories.
This event is participated in by high school students in Hokkaido, with the aim of fostering an interest among the youth, who will take charge in the next generation, with regard to the Northern Territories issue and the campaign for their return, as well as further raising public awareness of the issue. This year, the contest was held in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, on January 25.
The Prime Minister said in his address,
“I would like to extend my congratulations on the wonderful speeches the two of you made during the speech contest on the Northern Territories.
Japan would like to sign a peace treaty with Russia, and I believe that there will be further Japan-Russia negotiations. The two of you are young people who have considered this issue from a range of perspectives and have deepened your thinking on the matter. Now you have been commended and won an award for your efforts. I believe young people with in-depth views are extremely significant for relations between our countries.”