Saturday, February 7, 2009

The Prime Minister Attends the 2009 National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories

Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the 2009 National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories, held in Tokyo.

The National Rally to call for the early return of the Four Northern Islands (Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashiri and Etorofu), which are an integral part of Japan's sovereign territory, is held on February 7 as it marks Northern Territories Day, established with the aim of arousing national interest in and deepening understanding of the Northern Territories issue and further promoting the progress of the national movement for the return of the Northern Territories.

In his address, Prime Minister Aso said, "Russia is an important neighbor of Japan as it strives to build peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. For its part, the government will continue its negotiations, with firm will, so that progress can be made toward the final settlement of the Northern Territories issue, in line with the basic policy of resolving the issue of the attribution of the Four Northern Islands and concluding a peace treaty."