Another Assertion of Russia

Prime Minister of Russian Republic, Dmitry Medvedev, revealed his plan to visit Northern Territory of Japan, in a cabinet meeting in Moscow on Thursday. Although he did not announce actual date of it, Medvedev demanded other Ministers to make the visit together. It is obviously a demonstration of Vladimir Putin administration not to make any compromise to Japan on territorial issue in coming events of diplomacy this year.

In the meeting, the cabinet led by Medvedev decided a social and economic development plan for Kuril Islands, including Japanese Northern Territory. “I’m planning to visit there and invite other cabinet members,” told Medvedev in the meeting. He showed determination to develop those islands with 70 billion Russian Ruble for infrastructure and stressed importance of reinforcing troops there for border patrol.

Medvedev visited Japanese Northern Territory in November 2010, when he was the President of Russia. It was the first visit there by Soviet or Russian chief of state. He revisited there in July 2012 as Russian Prime Minister. Japanese government firmly protested to that kind of behavior of Medvedev as putting negative impact on bilateral relationship between Japan and Russia. If he makes another visit, it will be an explicit insult on Japanese sovereignty.

It is likely that Medvedev wanted to show his conviction that those islands were undoubtedly belonging to Russia. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has been showing serious hope for inviting Putin to Japan later this year. Medvedev can be frustrated with the possibility of discussion over the territorial issue between those two top leaders.

Putin did not attend the cabinet meeting. Although Putin might not have known his prime minister’s willingness of the visit, it is likely that he has been supporting ambitious attitude over the territorial issue, as long as Putin has not accused Medvedev. Strong standpoint on the issue will be an effective diplomatic card for Putin against Japan in the possible meeting with Abe. The best scenario of Moscow is talking only about economic cooperation with no exchange of opinion on Northern Territory issue.

Japanese government has not responded to another move of Russia. While Abe has carelessly been showing soft attitude to Russia, eagerly inviting Putin to Japan, Russia made stakes high with new policy of banning salmon fishery in Northern Pacific. Although assertive policy of Russia has been making the bilateral relationship complicated, it is Abe’s misunderstanding of international politics, in which Japan has no effective power to make a deal on rivalry between Russia and United States.