Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > April, 2005

Prime Minister Meets with the Representatives of People Campaigning for the Return of the Northern Islands Monday, April 4, 2005 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a meeting with the representatives of people campaigning for the return of the Northern Islands and received their requests at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, Ms. Harumi Takahashi, the Governor of Hokkaido and Chairperson of the Hokkaido and Tohoku National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories, as well as representatives of people campaigning for the return of the Northern Islands, made requests to Prime Minister Koizumi, Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Ms. Yuriko Koike, the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, calling on the Government to make an active effort toward the resolution of the territories issue at the earliest possible date. In his address, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "This year marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Russia. I believe President Vladimir Putin will visit Japan this year. Taking such opportunity, I intend to convey to the Russian side that it is the wish of all the people of Japan for the Northern Territories to be returned to Japan."