The Japanese side decided that it should lay claim to all four islands, reminded the head of state. The Soviet Union was ready to give Japan two islands of the South Kuril Islands under the agreement in 1956, but Tokyo refused to perform the contract. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin to journalists. "I want to remind you, this agreement is not a secret. In 1956, the Soviet Union received the territory as a result of the Second World War. These results are recorded in international legal documents. The Soviet Union in 1956, after a rather long and persistent negotiations with Japan signed an agreement in which it is written that the two southern islands are transferred to the Japanese side, but, nevertheless, it is written "transferred", but does not say on what conditions transferred and whose sovereignty is preserved ", - Putin said.

According to him, in the Soviet-Japanese treaty a number of points require clarification: "But, after the signing and after ratification, which is extremely important, by the Japanese parliament and the Supreme Council of the USSR, the Japanese side refused to fulfill this contract. Japan felt that this is not enough, the Japanese partners decided that they should lay claim to all four islands, and the contract, in fact, none of the parties is not satisfied. It simply hung, and later the Soviet Union announced that it is not going comply with it. "

Putin explained why he remembered the contract of 1956: "The Soviet Union has received, the Soviet Union was ready to return the two islands, but, I repeat, it is not clear under what conditions, it is not written. But it should be returned. There are issues associated with business activities and security concerns, there are humanitarian issues. All of this is in the area of our attention."

Read more (Reuters) >>
Read more (Pravda Report) >>
Read more (JIJI Press) >>