Yeltsin Seeks Japan’s Understanding on Islands Issue

Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin said Friday that if he agreed to return four islands seized from Japan after World War II, “I might have to get a visa to go back home.” But if Japan helped Russia in carrying out economic reforms, “the Russian people would become much more serene about territorial issues,” he added.

That was the advice Yeltsin gave Japan on how to prepare for an official visit to Tokyo that he promised to make in the fall.

Twice in the last 10 months, Yeltsin has disappointed and angered Japan’s officials and public after raising their hopes that progress might be made toward resolving the territorial dispute: He canceled a scheduled visit last September at the last minute, and in May he offered again to come, only to drop the offer.

The dispute dates to the closing days of World War II, when the Soviet Union belatedly declared war on Japan and seized the four islands off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Because of the islands, Japan never formally concluded a peace with the Soviet Union.

Although the Soviet Union is no more, the islands are now largely populated by Russians. Russian nationalists oppose giving up the islands, which they call the Kurils. Japan, which refers to them as the Northern Territories, says the issue saps support for aid to Yeltsin’s reforms.

Yeltsin talked about the subject in a news conference Friday after meeting with the leaders of the world’s seven leading industrial democracies. It was the first time that he spelled out in public his intention to try to work out arrangements for a mid-October visit, his willingness to discuss the dispute and his desire to normalize relations with Tokyo by concluding a peace treaty.

Yeltsin’s “aid first, islands second” formula is the opposite of Japan’s position. Japan has joined G-7 aid programs for Russia but has withheld major bilateral aid because of the dispute.

Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa praised Yeltsin’s willingness to seek a solution to the issue based on “law and justice.” He also said Yeltsin’s trip has eased any ill feelings that the Japanese people might hold against him.

Miyazawa had promised Yeltsin that he would make no reference to the disputed islands during the G-7 meetings--and he kept that pledge.

But Japan’s cause was given an unexpected boost by President Clinton, who advised Yeltsin in the presence of the other six national leaders that “complete normalization” of Japan-Russian relations is necessary for global stability.