[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from a group of junior high school students who are third and fourth generation descendants of former inhabitants of the Northern Territories of Japan, at the Prime Minister's Office.

These seven students spoke about their feelings toward the Northern Territories, after which the Prime Minister said,

“Through your stories today, I was able to sense the feelings of your grandfathers and grandmothers toward the Northern Territories.

I believe that each of you, in your own unique ways, appreciate the importance of the Northern Territories and the feelings of your grandparents.

Unfortunately, even 70 years after the end of World War II, a peace treaty has yet to be concluded between Japan and Russia, and the Northern Territories, an inherent part of the territory of Japan , have yet to be returned.

This is why your grandparents are still unable to travel to the Northern Territories, where they grew up. As Prime Minister, I will continue to make efforts to achieve a breakthrough in this situation, find a solution, and conclude a peace treaty between Japan and Russia.

I have held summit meetings with President Putin on ten occasions and we have spoken about this issue, among other topics. I believe that in order to resolve this issue, the two leaders must make a decision, based on the relationship of trust we have established through these summit meetings. To this end, I will continue to work toward a resolution. We both agree that a solution should be reached, so I will continue to endeavor to produce concrete results.

For this issue to be resolved, I believe it is very important for more people in Japan to know about the issue of the Northern Territories, as well as about how your grandparents feel towards the Northern Territories. This will further contribute to our efforts in the negotiation process, so please continue with your activities as the third and fourth generation descendants. Thank you very much for all of your hard work.”