From: hiraga@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Yuzuru Hiraga)
Subject: Re: Northern Islands (flash news)
Organization: Stanford University CSLI
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 04:15:54 GMT

In article <1992Oct8.161937.6963@Csli.Stanford.EDU> I wrote:
>I have just overheard the following in a news broadcast feed from Japan:

Some corrections and supplement to my previous post:
sources are revision of the Fuji-TV news and "Today's Japan"
(NHK International).

>Yeltsin stated (in the Russian congress?) that he'll be considering
>returning two islands (the Habomais and Shikotan) to Japan.

	Correction: this was in a Russian TV interview show on Wednesday.

>The points I picked up were:
>* My[=Yeltsin's] visit to Japan had to be cancelled/postponed because
>  Japan was making the absurd claim that all four islands must be
>  returned [at once?].

	No change here.

>* However, recently Japan has softened its position to first accept
>  the return of the two islands, and postpone further negotiation
>  until the Peace Treaty is signed.
>* The return of the two islands are acceptable.

	There seems to be some trouble here.

	A more accurate transcription of the Fuji news is:
	However, recently Japan has softened its position so that if
	Russia confirms the 1956 Japan-USSR Joint Declaration which
	stated the return of the two islands, then Japan will be
	flexible and will consider postponing the time of their return
	after the signing of the Peace Treaty.  It is possible for
	Russia to compromise along this line.
	[ So the possibility of the return of two islands is (implicitly?)
	approved, while the below remains unchanged:
>* The return of all the islands [i.e. in particular, Kunashiri and Etorofu]
>  is still out of the question.
	]

	The issue is further complicated, however, according to
	"Today's Japan".  It says that Yeltsin has misquoted remarks
	by Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe (as given above).
	The nature of the misquote, as far as I understand,
	is that in the above quote by Yeltsin, Watanabe has mentioned
	about only two islands (Habonais and Shikotan), not mentioning
	Kunashiri and Etorofu.  Watanabe has denied this and says
	there is no change to Japanese policy to have all four islands
	returned, though Japan can be flexible about the time of return.

	Further on "Today's Japan": "It is not known where Yeltsin got
	this misquotation from.  Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign
	Minister Georgy Kunadze said there was confusion of information
	in Russia.  He said that Yeltsin's aides were deliberately
	passing misinformation to Yeltsin.  According to Kunadze,
	one example of misinformation is the belief that there will
	be a general election in Japan in October, and the Japanese
	cabinet may be reshuffled [which is incorrect], and this
	information was also a basis for postponing Yeltsin's visit
	to Japan."

>* I will be willing to visit Japan to discuss our problems.

	This was said in a commentary of Fuji.
	In "Today's Japan", Yeltsin is quoted as saying "If Miyazawa
	is as flexible as Watanabe, then he would visit Japan".


So, the nature of Yeltsin's comment, as well as Russian policy in general,
might be in a state of confusion.

This is as far as I got right now.

-Yuzuru Hiraga