U.S. backs Japan over islands dispute with Russia: official

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The United States supports Tokyo's position on disputed islands off Hokkaido held by Russia but claimed by Japan, a U.S. government official said Monday.

"We are quite aware of the dispute. We do back Japan regarding the Northern Territories," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told a news conference.

His remarks came after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday visited Kunashiri Island, one of the four islands, which are known as the Southern Kurils in Russia.

Crowley also urged the two countries to continue efforts toward concluding a peace treaty, saying, "The United States for a number of years has encouraged Japan and Russia to negotiate an actual peace treaty, regarding these and other issues."

After talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara in Hawaii last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, claimed by China, in the East China Sea are subject to the Japan-U.S. security treaty and the United States is "committed to obligations to protect" the group of islets in case of a foreign attack.

Asked if the Japan-U.S. security pact also applies to the Northern Territories, Crowley declined to comment.

Some analysts say that Japanese diplomacy is in a predicament without strong leadership at a time when neighboring countries have begun taking aggressive stances.

Regarding whether Medvedev's visit to Kunashiri Island was motivated by perceptions of Japanese weakness, a senior U.S. official said, "I don't know."

(Mainichi Japan) November 2, 2010