Japan made a representation to Russia because of plans to introduce a special tax regime in the Kuril Islands, as it allegedly contradicts Tokyo's position on these territories. This was announced at a press conference by the Secretary General of the Japanese Cabinet of Ministers Katsunobu Kato.

“This contradicts the position of our country on the four northern islands (the Russian southern Kuril Islands.

- RT

), as well as the essence of the discussions on joint Japanese-Russian economic activity, which has been conducted so far on the basis of agreements at the highest level. We find such statements deplorable. On September 3, we made a presentation to the Russian side, noting that this regime runs counter (with the position of Tokyo.

- RT

). We also noted that joint economic activity should be carried out without prejudice to our legal position, ”TASS quoted him as saying.

At the same time, Kato drew attention to the fact that the Japanese side is still ready to discuss with Moscow joint economic activities in the southern part of the Kuril Islands, provided that this does not contradict Tokyo's legal position.

Earlier, on September 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the conditions for doing business in the Kuril Islands should be "the best in the entire Asia-Pacific region."

According to him, the Russian Federation will create "an unprecedented set of benefits and incentives" in the Kuril Islands by exemption from income and property taxes, land and transport taxes for 10 years.

“I emphasize that we are talking about companies that are not just registered in the Kuril Islands, but actually work on the islands, build buildings, enterprises, and hire employees.

For such companies, reduced insurance premiums of 7.6% will also be established for 10 years, ”the Russian leader said during a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum.

In addition, a free customs zone regime will operate throughout the Kuril Islands, Putin said.

The Russian President explained that "it will be easier and more convenient to import goods, equipment and export finished products."

“Within this zone, there will also be no VAT levied until the goods leave the territory of the Kuril Islands,” Putin said.

- At the same time, I emphasize, not only domestic companies, but also foreign investors, including, of course, our neighbors, including our Japanese partners, will be able to take advantage of tax, customs and administrative advantages, which we, in fact, talked about with them before in sense of creating conditions for the development of the economy of these islands and our cooperation in these territories. "

Putin also expressed hope that the preferential regime in the Kuril Islands "will bring significant results for the development of the islands, for the launch of promising projects, primarily in such areas as tourism, mariculture, fish processing."

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin

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  • © Grigory Sysoev

“For Russia and, of course, for our citizens living in the Far East, it is important that new centers of economic growth with great export potential appear here.

All this is additional jobs, an increase in people's incomes, the development of small and medium-sized businesses, ”the Russian leader emphasized.

Not the first demarche

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Tokyo has declared its dissatisfaction with Russia's actions related to the Kuriles.

Thus, in July, the Japanese Foreign Ministry voiced a protest over the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to the Kuril island of Iturup.

This was reported by the Russian embassy in Tokyo.

"In response, Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin said that this protest is unacceptable in light of the principled position of the Russian side on the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands, which passed to our country on legal grounds following the results of World War II," the Russian diplomatic department said in a statement. posted on his Facebook page.

Earlier, in February, a national congress was held in Japan on the theme of the "return" of the Kuril Islands of Shikotan, Iturup, Kunashir and the Habomai archipelago.

The participants in this event expressed "extreme regret" that the lands allegedly "continue to be seized without legal grounds for 75 years."

It is worth noting that this congress has been held in Japan for several decades with the participation of the country's prime minister, foreign minister and other members of the government on the day the Shimoda treaty was signed with Russia in 1855.

The document assumed that a number of Kuril Islands would leave Tokyo in exchange for the signing of a trade agreement.

However, subsequently, the state border in the region of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin changed three more times.

As stated earlier in the Russian Foreign Ministry, "the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands to the Russian Federation is based on the generally recognized results of the Second World War and the unshakable post-war international legal basis, including the UN Charter."

"This issue has nothing to do with the Shimoda treatise, without belittling the historical significance of this document," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.

  • Shore of Shikotan Island

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  • © Andrey Zima

On September 6, the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, said that Japan's recognition of the results of World War II "would serve as the most solid basis for bringing and developing bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level, allowing them to look for solutions to everything, including the most sensitive issues." ...

"Attempt to Intervene"

As the Acting Director of the RAS Institute of Far East Alexei Maslov noted, Japan's position on the Kuril Islands and how Russia intends to develop them is not constructive.

“The statements of the General Secretary of the Japanese Cabinet are an attempt to interfere in the internal Russian economic policy, which seems somewhat wild.

Moscow is putting forward a specific action plan related to the development of a special economic zone in the Kuril Islands, which, in theory, would be no less profitable for Japan than for the Russian Federation.

But so far Tokyo rejects any attempts by Russia to translate the dialogue into a constructive form, "the expert said in an interview with RT.

Head of the Department of Diplomacy at MGIMO, Alexander Panov, called the expected repetition of Tokyo's position on the Kuril Islands after the Russian president's statement on benefits for these Russian territories.

"Despite the fact that the conditions that Moscow offers for the development of the Kuriles are extremely attractive, including for Japanese business, Tokyo has once again decided to duplicate its position regarding the ownership of the Kuril Islands," he said in a conversation with RT.

According to Maslov, the "violent reaction" of the Japanese side to Russia's initiatives for the development of the Kuriles "only exacerbates the situation."

“If Japan reacts in this way to the Russian proposals, it means that it does not want to continue a constructive dialogue and is slipping into baseless accusations.

Unfortunately, it also shows that Tokyo will not give up its territorial claims in the near future, which are not supported by anything but ambitions, ”the analyst said.

According to Maslov, the so-called "return" of the Kuril Islands has become in Japan, not without the efforts of the political establishment, a kind of national idea.

“Any politician who comes to the Japanese cabinet builds his strategies and doctrines around this.

These are some attempts to overcome the phantom pains caused by the defeat in World War II, which, according to Tokyo, is important for the rallying of the nation.

Do not forget that Japan is in a difficult economic situation, and through statements about the Kuril Islands, Tokyo wants, among other things, to shift the emphasis from these difficulties, ”the expert explained.

  • State flags of Russia and Japan

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  • © Ramil Sitdikov

At the same time, as Maslov recalled, Moscow has repeatedly stated that the entire territory of the Kuril Islands is Russian in accordance with the results of World War II.

“And Russia has every right to implement any economic initiatives on its territory without looking back at its Japanese colleagues.

Tokyo, on the other hand, should focus on the fact that such innovations will be beneficial, including for the Japanese, who want to link their business with the Russian Kuriles, where fishing and fish processing are highly developed, there are a number of natural resources, ”the analyst said.

Panov adheres to a similar position.

According to him, the Kuriles are a purely Russian territory.

“Russia has the right to engage in any activity there, including economic and economic.

Moscow can establish any economic norms on the Kuril Islands, especially those designed to develop the region and make it more promising for business, ”the expert concluded.