日露首脳会談 領土交渉は腰を据えて進めよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Steadily conduct territorial talks with Russia to work out solution
日露首脳会談　領土交渉は腰を据えて進めよ

Negotiations for signing a bilateral peace treaty and the resolution of the northern territorial issue are inseparable.
　平和条約交渉と領土問題の解決は不可分だ。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in New York, their first meeting in about 10 months.
　安倍首相はニューヨークで、ロシアのプーチン大統領と約１０か月ぶりに会談した。

On the northern territorial issue, Abe and Putin confirmed that the two governments will proceed with negotiations on the peace treaty based on a 2013 bilateral agreement that the two countries will “work out measures to resolve the issue acceptable to both sides.” They also agreed to continue holding top-level dialogues on the sidelines of international conferences.
　北方領土問題について、「双方が受け入れ可能な解決策をまとめる」とする２０１３年の合意に基づき、平和条約交渉を進める方針を確認した。国際会議を利用した首脳対話の継続でも一致した。

It is highly significant for both countries to put the territorial negotiations back on track.
　領土交渉を再び軌道に乗せた意義は小さくない。

With regard to Putin’s visit to Japan, Abe said, “I want to realize it [the visit] when the timing is best,” indicating that he does not feel bound to the plan for Putin to visit by the year-end.
　首相は、プーチン氏の来日について「ベストなタイミングで実現させたい」と述べ、年内にはこだわらない考えを示した。

Now that there is no prospect for any tangible result on the territorial issue, it will not be necessary for Abe to adhere to the idea of realizing Putin’s visit to Japan this year, even at the cost of being out of step with the Group of Seven industrialized countries, which have imposed sanctions on Russia in light of the situation in Ukraine. Abe’s decision was appropriate.
　現状では領土問題で成果が見込めない以上、ウクライナ情勢を踏まえて対露制裁を継続中の先進７か国（Ｇ７）の足並みを乱してまで、年内来日に固執する必要はあるまい。首相の判断は妥当だ。

Saying that he has recently been reelected president of the Liberal Democratic Party, Abe indicated his willingness to proceed with bilateral talks by saying he would deal with the negotiations more steadily than ever before. Abe will serve three more years as president of the ruling party, while Putin will remain in office for the same length of time.
　首相は、先の自らの自民党総裁再選に言及し、「さらに腰を据えて交渉に取り組む」と意欲を示した。総裁任期は残り３年ある。プーチン氏の任期もまた３年だ。

The administrations of both Abe and Putin have solid foundations, and the two leaders enjoy a certain level of trust. It can be said that the environments needed for them to resolve such a politically difficult problem as the territorial issue have been put into place to a certain extent, such as the political leadership keeping the domestic opposition at arm’s length and there is sufficient time to deal with it.
　双方の政権基盤は強く、一定の信頼関係もある。国内の反対意見を抑える指導力や時間的余裕など、領土のように政治的に困難な問題の解決に必要な環境は、ある程度整っていると言えよう。

Hard-line stance intolerable

Putin, however, refrained from going deeply into the territorial issue this time. At the onset of the talks, Putin called for Japan’s economic cooperation, by saying, “Regrettably, the value of trade [between Japan and Russia] has been falling.”
　ただ、プーチン氏は今回、領土問題に深入りすることを避けた。会談冒頭、「残念ながら貿易額は減少が見られる」と語るなど、日本の経済協力を求めた。

Probably underlying his remarks is the serious decline in the state of Russian economy, which has been affected by the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union and falling crude oil prices.
　背景には、欧米からの制裁や原油安による国内経済の落ち込みが深刻化していることがあろう。

Abe said, “I hope preparations for economic cooperation will be made in a constructive and calm atmosphere,” implicitly warning that visits to the northern territories by Russian government officials, including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, would impede any improvement in the bilateral relations. It is a reasonable acknowledgment on Abe’s part.
　首相は「経済協力の準備は建設的で静かな雰囲気で進めたい」と述べた。ロシアのメドベージェフ首相らの北方領土訪問が日露関係改善の障害になるとクギを刺したもので、当然の認識である。

The recent hard-line stance of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the territorial issue is intolerable.
　最近、領土問題に対するロシア外務省の強硬姿勢が目に余る。

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week that Japan should recognize the reality of postwar history. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov even said that the northern territories were lawfully transferred to his country as a result of World War II.
　ラブロフ外相は先週、「戦後の歴史の現実を認識すべきだ」と発言した。モルグロフ外務次官は、北方領土について「第２次大戦の結果として合法的に我が国に移った」などと言い放っている。

Russia, in diplomatic documents exchanged with Japan, has recognized the existence of the dispute concerning the possession of the four northern islands. As Russian officials, including Lavrov, have adopted stances that apparently ignore past bilateral negotiations, it will be important for Japan to directly approach Putin, who has tremendous political power.
　ロシアは日本との外交文書で、北方４島の帰属問題の存在を確認している。ラブロフ氏らが過去の交渉を無視するような姿勢を見せるだけに、日本としては、絶大な権力を持つプーチン氏に直接働きかけることが重要となる。

On Oct. 8, vice ministerial-level talks on the peace treaty will resume. Japan needs to work out a comprehensive diplomatic strategy toward Russia by thoroughly considering what things will be like two to three years from now.
　１０月８日からは次官級の平和条約交渉が再開される。日本は、今後２、３年を見据えた対露外交の総合戦略を練る必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 30, 2015)