蘇聯總統探訪北方四島

Recently the NHK news reported the following:

前原外務大臣は、ロシアのメドベージェフ大統領が北方領土の国後島を訪問したことを受けて、ロシアのベールイ大使を外務省に呼び、北方領土は日本固有の領土であり、わが国の国民感情を傷つけるもので、きわめて遺憾だとして抗議しました。
この中で前原外務大臣は、メドベージェフ大統領の国後島訪問について「ロシアの最高指導者が北方四島を訪問すれば、日ロ関係を損ねるという懸念を表明していたにもかかわらず、今回、大統領が訪問したことは、日本との関係発展の重視を表明してきたロシア政府の真意を疑わせるものだ」と述べました。そのうえで、前原外務大臣は「北方領土は日本固有の領土であり、日本の原則的立場と相いれない。わが国の国民感情を傷つけるものであり、きわめて遺憾だ。日本政府としては、訪問時の大統領の言動などを踏まえ、適切な対応をとっていかざるをえない」と述べ、抗議しました。これに対し、ベールイ大使は、北方領土に対するロシアの原則的な立場を説明したうえで「大統領の訪問は純粋な国内問題であり、対外的な側面はない。日ロ関係の悪化は双方にとって利益にならない」と述べ、日本側に冷静な対応を求めました。このあとベールイ大使は、外務省で記者団に対し「ロシアの大統領がロシアのどの地域を訪問するかどうかは大統領の選択だ」と述べました。

(試譯文)

Foreign Minister Maehara noted Russia President Medvedev's visit to Kunashirito that located in the northern territories, called in Russia ambassador Bearui to the Foreign Ministry to protect because northern territories was Japanese territory traditionally, and regarded the visit as extremely regrettable as it damaged the public sentiment of our country.

Foreign Minister Maehara described President Medvedev's Kunashirito visit as this "If the top leader in Russia visited northern four islands although it was declared that there is anxiety that it would damage Japanese-Russia relations, that casts doubt on what is the real intention of Russian government when it declared valuing the relationship development with Japan". On top of that Foreign Minister Maehara described and protested that ｢Northern territories were traditionally Japanese territories, and it is contradictory to a standpoint of Japan in principle. It is a matter that damages the public sentiment of our country, and it is extremely regrettable. Japanese Government cannot help taking appropriate response based on president's speech and behavior made during the visiting｣. After explaining the standpoint of Russia on northern territories in principle, ambassador Bearui said that ｢The presidential visit is purely internal affairs, and doesn't aim at outsiders. Deterioration of Japanese-Russian relations would not profit both parties｣ and requested calm response from Japan. After this, ambassador Bearui described to reporters in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that "It is a presidential pick on which region of Russia that the Russia president would visit".

Although the visit by Russia president to the Northern Territories had caused some diplomatic tension between Russia and Japan, the dispute had died down in the past few days.