During the consultations at the level of Deputy foreign Ministers of Russia and Japan, which will be held on August 17 in Moscow, the government of Japan intends to propose a project in which the priority is given to daily boat tours and the Maritime industry. This will be a trial balloon for the joint business of Russia and Japan the “Northern territories”.
Tokyo felt that in comparison with land-based projects of economic activities at sea, where there is less of a problem, it will be easier to make.
Japan intends to show the development of relations in the economic sphere and thus to prepare the environment for resolving the territorial problem.
On 17 August in consultations at the Deputy Minister level, Japan will begin a substantive discussion of cooperation with the Russian side. You must specify the projects for the meeting of heads of Russia and Japan, which is scheduled for early September in Vladivostok, so that during it the leaders of both countries signed the relevant agreement.
One of the priority projects of — growing of sea urchins and scallops in the waters of the four Northern Islands, which are ideal for this. Fish processing companies from the city of Nemuro, which is located on the island of Hokkaido, have great expectations from this business. Russian representatives of this sector are operating on the “Northern territories”, also show that they are ready to implement new projects with Japan.
With regard to tourism, the planned one-day cruises from Nemuro on Kunashir and other Islands. Tourists will not land on the island and will only admire them from the ship. However, experts believe that it will attract a large number of Japanese tourists who love to enjoy the wildlife. A further task is to discuss the creation of a regular flight, which will connect Hokkaido and the Northern territories.
The joint activity involves the creation of a “special system” in the South Kuril Islands, which will not interfere with legal positions of Russia and Japan. In December last year, President Putin and Prime Minister Abe agreed to discuss this issue. In June of this year in the South Kuril Islands officials and businessmen from Russia and Japan have tested in the field.
If the government of the Russian Federation and Japan reached a substantive agreement on tourism and fisheries, Ministry of foreign Affairs of the parties will start discussing the creation of a “special system” to implement these projects. The fact that the Russian side insists on the fishing industry, and tourism was conducted in the territorial waters.
There are many intractable problems: the procedure of entry to the island, the taxation, the proceedings in the case of any problems, and so on.
Sources in diplomatic circles of Russia and Japan have expressed the view that to address all of these issues will take at least two years. Despite this, Prime Minister Abe hopes that Putin will be reelected in the presidential election in March next year and it will be easier to compromise on the territorial negotiations. So now he tries as quickly as possible to achieve success in the field of Russian-Japanese cooperation.
