Transcript Territorial Dispute between Japan and Russia

RUSSO - JAPANESE
TERRITORIAL DISPUTE
KURILE ISLANDS
Geography
• The chain of 56 islands streching 1,270 km
from Kamchatka to Hokkaido
• Total area: 15,600 sq. km
• Population: around 17,000. Russians, Ainus
and others
• Disputed area: 4,640 sq. km with exclusive
economic zone of 196,000 sq.km
• The most disputed islands: Kunashiri and
Etorofu
The Most Relevant International
Legal Acts till 1914
THE TREATY OF COMMERCE, NAVIGATION
AND DELIMITATION ( SHIMODA TREATY,
1855 ):
• „Henceforth the boundary between the two
states shall lie between islands of Etorofu
and Uruppu. The whole of Etorofu shall
belong to Japan; and the all Kurile Islands,
lying to the north of and including Uruppu,
shall belong to Russia. Island of Skhalin will
be common possession.”
• THE TREATY OF SAINT PETERSBURG
( 1875 ):
„Japan gives up all rights to Sakhalin in
exchange for Russia giving up all rights
to all Kurile Islands.”
• THE TREATY OF PORTSMOUTH ( 1905 )
Russia transfers all rights to southern
half of Sakhalin Island to Japan.
• SOON AFTER OCTOBER REVOLUTION
(1917) JAPAN OCCUPIED NORTHERN
HALF OF THE SAKHALIN AND PARTS
OF THE SOVIET EASTERN SIBERIA
• JAPAN LEFT EASTERN SIBERIA IN 1922
AND NORTHERN SAKHALIN IN 1925
The Most Relevant International
Legal Acts After 1936
• RUSSO - JAPANESE TREATY OF NEUTRALITY
( APRIL 12TH 1941 )
Stipulated territorial integrity of the contracting
paties and neutrality in the case of war of one
contracting partiy against a third country or
countries.
• CAIRO DECLARATION ( DECEMBER 1ST 1943 ):
Determination of USA, Great Britain and China to
deprive Japan of all territories it had acquired „by
use of force or greed”.
• YALTA AGREEMENT OF THE LEADERS OF
USSR, USA AND GREAT BRITAIN ( FEBRUARY
11TH 1945 ):
„Two, or, three months upon the surrender of
Germany and the end of war in Europe, Soviet
Union will enter the war against Japan on the
side of Allies under conditions that:
2.a) Southern part of Sakhalin Island and
its adjacent islands will be returned to the
Soviet Union,
3. Kurile Islands will be transferred to the
Soviet Union.”
• POTSDAM DECLARATION OF THE LEADERS
OF USA, GREAT BRITAIN, CHINA AND USSR
( JULY 26TH 1945 ):
„…Sovereignty of Japan will be limited to the
islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushyu,
Shikoku and those minor islands that we
determine”.
• INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER
( SEPTEMBER 2ND 1945 ):
„Japan is obliged to implement bona fide
provisions of the Potsdam Declaration”
• SAN FRANCISCO PEACE TREATY
( SEPTEMBER 8TH 1951 ):
Article 2.(c): „Japan renounces all rights,
titles and clames to the Kurile islands,
and to that part of Sakhalin and the
islands adjacent to it over which Japan
acquired sovereignty as the consequence
of the Treaty of Portsmouth of September
the 5th 1905”.
• JOINT ( MOSCOW ) DECLARATION
( OCTOBER THE 19TH 1956 )
Article 1. „The state of war between
USSR and Japan will be ended by
coming into force of this Declaration..”
Article 9. „Soviet Union…agrees to
hand over to Japan the Habomai and
Shikotan islands, provided that the
actual transfer of these islands to Japan
will be carried out upon the conclusion
of the Peace Trety between USSR and
Japan”.