Russian-Japanese relations strained to the Kuril Medvedev

Japan-Russia diplomatic relations re-tightened

after the Russian President's visit to the disputed island territory of both countries, Kuril Islands, located in southeastern Russia and northern Japan.

President Dmitry Medvedev, according to one source in his entourage, landed at the Kuril Islands on Monday, and made the first Russian leader to visit the islands also claimed by Japan. Medvedev's visit to the Islands Kunashir were short before his visit to Japan for a meeting of the Working Group of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in mid-November.

The Soviet Union occupied the four disputed islands at the end of World War II and the dispute about the boundary region has been an obstacle in relations between Tokyo and Moscow since then, which entailed the postponement of a peace treaty officially penadatanganan. Japan claims the region as the Northern Region of Japan.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister regretted the visit of President Medvedev and mention it may injure the Russo-Japanese relations. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Seiji Maehara, will seek clarification from the Russian Ambassador to Japan and memerotes Medvedev's visit to the disputed island territory, said a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry quoted the news agency Jiji.

On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday denied that the purpose of Medvedev's visit has a political charge, and he mentioned that the visit was an ordinary thing. "Territory of the Republic of Russian Federation is the territory of the Republic of Russian Federation as a whole," he said.

Lavrov described the Japanese claim over the islands as a matter that is not endless and can not be resolved. Kunashir Islands stretch from Japan's Hokkaido Island to the northeast up to the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Kunashir is about 16 kilometers from Hokkaido. The dispute was a routine conversation when the Japanese and Russian leaders meet, but no signs of progress achieved this year. Politicians in both countries often use the issue of disputed territory to raise the image of their patriotism in a particular political campaign.