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© 2011 AFPRussia tells Japan to put trade first
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© 2011 AFP
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just-a-guy
The Tupolevs will roaming again over the Kurile islands again!
Spidapig24
Oh here we go again! More of the same from Japan, give us back our islands that you took off us after our war of aggression that we started.
The Russians offered you some islands back already and you said no, why do you keep going on and on about this give it up. You started it, you lost it, deal with it.
Arthur Dumbolov
Actually, our (Russians) position is: remove US naval military bases from Okinawa, no, from all Japan, move them far away to Australia and Japan will get those 4 islands.
PT24881
Sovereignty is, by itself, only defensible but not negotiatiable -- words from the Russian ( next president ? ) PM Putin.
Hence, straightening the order of the issues -- 'trade' first with the current president Medvedev, 'politics' with the next president Putin afterwards...
sunhawk
any issues about islands won't be able to get resolution until all the soviet era people like Putin are gone and dead.
Boris Yarovoy
In Russia there are people offering to return the Kurile Islands of Japan. http://ainu-japan.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-post.html But Japan does not want to work in this direction. Politicians are accustomed to lots of talk and not do anything really.
YuriOtani
Spidapig24, you got the message, no northern territories, no peace. Trade with Russia is not worth it!
nath
YuriOtaniNov. 13, 2011 - 10:40PM JST Trade with Russia is not worth it!
Trade with anyone seems not worth it for Japan, if it isn't allowed to practice its neo-mercantilist policies.
Let's go back to the halcyon days of 1660.
Spidapig24
Yuriotani,
You mean if russia doesnt give back it's spoils of war then Japan will be very upset and not sign a peace treaty. AW no... And no trade yeah right
nath
Arthur DumbolovNov. 13, 2011 - 04:48PM JST Actually, our (Russians) position is: remove US naval military bases from Okinawa, no, from all Japan, move them far away to Australia and Japan will get those 4 islands.
It has never been Russia's position, even in the 1950's. It was actually America's position in the 1950's, when Dulles - Ichiro was about to come to an agreement with the Soviet Union that 2 of the southern kuriles would be returned to Japan - threatened Hatoyama snr that any reproachment between the USSR and Japan might lead to the USA never returning Okinawa.
Out of that threat we have lived with the 'northern territory fiasco' since. Even Yoshida accepted in 1952 that the Kuriles were the Kuriles. The term .'northern territories' was a MOF invention resulting from Dulles' threat and way of picking a territorial scab to please America.
The problem is that with the Japanese more than half the exercise of making white into black, is to say that it is so.
Now a problem that was never even a problem has been written into stone.
YuriOtani
Spidapig24, why should Japan let itself get dependent of Russian gas/oil? Dog I favor trade with America and Europe, etc. Russians can not be trusted! A treaty from them is not worth the paper it is written upon.
globalwatcher
Very interesting to learn about this. Would you please provide me with the link supporting your opinion?
YuriOtani
zichi, once Japan is addicted to Russian gas/oil they will raise the prices and or make political demands. Unlike Americans Russians can not be trusted.
nath
YuriOtaniNov. 13, 2011 - 11:08PM JST
zichi, once Japan is addicted to Russian gas/oil they will raise the prices and or make political demands. Unlike Americans Russians can not be trusted.
Unlike Russia, America isn't exporting gas/oil.
It's no sweat to Russia. If you don't buy their gas/oil, there's plenty that will.
Arthur Dumbolov
やっぱり、あんたわほんとばかね…_o_
Our government is going to buy oil from Japan soon, no joke. And electric energy will be transferred to Hokkaido soon too.
Mind to explain, WHY we can not be trusted?
Arthur Dumbolov
My own opinion about this question: islands may be given to Japan, but ONLY with locals, because they are really suffering because of no coal, practically no support from Moscow or from rest of Russia. And, territorial waters around these islands should stay Russian.
YuriOtani
Arthur Dumbolov, we can buy our coal from America. Why can Russia not be trusted? well they break their treaties. What is the use of signing something the Russians think and act like it is meaningless? Thus my response to Russia, is go frack yourselves.
YuriOtani
zichi, what happens when no replacement gas is available like in Europe? The government would be better off building windmill farms. They are available cheap from General Electric, buying coal and these windmills will help the exchange rate with the USA.
Arthur Dumbolov
Pick one.
All I see is how USA and NATO breaking all possible treaties and rules by attacking countries which has oil under the pretext of "bringing democracy". You should expect [economical] attack from USA, not from Russia, Russia is peaceful country now.
However, I don't get opinion of such AMERIBOO like you so closely.
YuriOtani
Arthur Dumbolov, unlike Russia, America never stabbed Japan in the back.
YuriOtani
zichi, I do not hate China or Russia, just do not trust them. Well trust China more since they are not back stabbers. Japan needs to feel some pain to change. Cheap Russian gas/oil now will lead to competency, which will block the change. Perhaps if Russia gave up two of the islands now, and allowed the former residents to return there could be an agreement. However remember the PM has to face political realities, sign a Peace Treaty without Russian concessions would mean the destruction of the DPJ.
The_True
YuriOtani, but Japan always stab The US and every other country in the back everyday!
start with the trade and keep going!
Arthur Dumbolov
What. WHEN Russia stabbed Japan in the back? Year, date, now!
YuriOtani
Grins, maybe Russia will take some really HOT cars from Japan as a form of payment ;) Hey if you can not trust an used auto salesman from the mainland, who can you trust? Same thing with the Tokyo government, come on tell me. You would buy an used Japanese car from Tovarish Noda, right? Maybe 10,000 of these cars for the return of the first 2 islands. Hey they are even easy to see at night!
gaijinfo
Says the leader of one of the most resource rich yet economically backward countries in the world. Russia is the only major country that is a net producer of oil (produce more than they consume) and is still an economic basket case.
globalwatcher
No, his statement is absurd. Do you make a huge investment with a mistress whose mind changes all the time? Without the political stability, there is no sense to think about further discussion. His thinking is a backward.
OssanAmerica
that you took off us AFTER WE ALREADY SURRENDERED, wjich is why the US, UK and EU consider them Japanes territory UNDER RUSSIAN OCCUPATION
They offerd HALF of the four islands