Moscow, Tokyo fail to quell isle row

• Source: Global Times
• [08:11 February 12 2011]
• Comments

Russia and Japan failed to calm a flaring territorial dispute Friday in a bruising meeting of their top diplomats, with Moscow accusing Tokyo of unacceptable behavior in the standoff.

The talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart, Seiji Maehara, were marked by an icy atmosphere and indications of an increasingly tense stalemate over the Pacific Kuril Islands dispute.

"To be honest, I expected to receive you in Moscow against a better backdrop," a stern-looking Lavrov said as he opened the talks in Moscow. "Your visit comes against the background of a series of completely unacceptable actions."

In recent days, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan had called President Dmitry Medvedev's unprecedented visit to the islands in November an "unforgivable outrage." Separately, a rifle bullet was mailed to the Russian embassy in Japan.

The two men later sat side-by-side in a frosty joint press conference, with Maehara remaining still as Lavrov repeated his anger over Japan's actions and warned that talks were not possible if Tokyo maintained a radical position.

Maehara responded that the islands - known in Japan as the Northern Territories - are his country's historic territory.

"The Northern Territories are age-old Japanese territory," he said.

Indicating no progress had been made to quell the flaring tensions, he added, "Our positions are still parallel."

Amid a spiraling row, Medvedev this week ordered the deployment of extra weaponry on the disputed islands and declared them to be an "inseparable" part of Russia.