Japan and Russia have entered the new century without the major diplomatic goal they had vowed to achieve by the end of 2000: the signing of a peace treaty. As a result, the bilateral territorial problem involving the Northern Territories -- a World War II legacy that stands in the way of full normalization of relations between the two nations -- remains unresolved.
The conclusion of a Russo-Japanese peace treaty is an essential condition for the broad expansion of normal cooperative relations between the two countries, neighbors and major members of international society. As such, the treaty will also have a salutary effect on regional and global stability. Both nations need to step up negotiations and sign the long-pending pact as early as possible.
This is not say that the signing of the treaty should take precedence over everything else in our bilateral relations. Japan should negotiate patiently with Russia without compromising its basic position that settlement of the territorial dispute is a prerequisite to the conclusion of a peace pact. It appears, however, that this position is now creating discord between the government and the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the ruling coalition.