Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > April, 2006

Prime Minister Meets with the Representatives of People Campaigning for the Return of the Northern Islands Tuesday, April 11, 2006 JAPANESE Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a meeting with the representatives of people campaigning for the return of the Northern Islands 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, calling on the Government to make an active effort toward the resolution of the territories issue at the earliest possible date. Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Unless the territories issue is resolved, further development of Japan-Russia relations will be difficult. To allow potential possibilities to manifest themselves, it is important to definitively resolve the issue of the Northern Territories and to conclude a Japan-Russia peace treaty. These are tough issues, but your eagerness represents a challenge that is being addressed by the Japanese people based on a common understanding. I would like to continue to progress@matters in cooperation."