MOSCOW POSITIVE ABOUT JAPANESE HUMANITARIAN AID TO SOUTH KURIL
ISLANDS
MOSCOW. Jan 22 (Interfax) - Japanese humanitarian aid to residents of the Kuril Islands helps to resolve everyday
social problems, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said on Thursday.
"The Japanese donations made with the assistance of the Russian authorities have helped to solve some social and
everyday problems," he said.
"Judging by statements made by Japanese officials, this humanitarian aid will continue," Yakovenko
said.
Japan has been giving humanitarian aid to Russian residents of the South Kuril Islands for a number of years.
"It has supplied a variety of items, including medicines, medical equipment, fuel and food," Yakovenko
said.
*** Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka will visit Moscow on January 25-27 to hold consultations with
Russian officials, the press service of the Japanese embassy in Russia told Interfax on Thursday.
The embassy's press service said that Tanaka will arrive in Moscow for an unofficial exchange of views on a
number of issues, including bilateral relations, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov and other
officials.
*** The Japanese embassy in Russia denies reports in the Japanese press that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is
planning to visit one of the South Kuril Islands this year.
"The reports are not true," the press service of the Japanese embassy in Russia told Interfax on Thursday.
"The Japanese government has not considered this idea."
The Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday that the Japanese prime minister was planning to visit an island in
the South Kurils in spring as part of the Japan-Russia visa-free exchange.
Japan disputes Russia's sovereignty over four of the South Kuril Islands - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and
Habomai. Moscow and Tokyo have been holding negotiations on this territorial issue for several decades, but have not
reached a resolution.
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