Japan, Russia to agree on fighting fish poaching

Russian defense minister visits army units based on Kuril Islands

"During his routine trip, the minister is assessing the quality of combat training arrangements, the overall provision for the forces, as well as the social and living conditions of servicemen and their families," a spokesman for the Eastern Military District said on Friday.

"Today Anatoly Serdyukov will also chair a session at the headquarters of the Eastern Military District, during which he will sum up the results of his visit," the spokesman said.

In January, the division's units based on Iturup and Kunashir Islands were inspected by a commission led by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov.

Companies outside the defense sector will soon be hired to service and repair military hardware owned by units and divisions stationed on the Kuril Islands, Bulgakov said.

Such companies will also be appointed to provide catering and laundry services for these units.

The amount of fuel and lubricant supplies to the units will be increased by 3-4 tonnes to enable them to step up their combat training, he said.

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Russian defence minister visits disputed island off Japan

Feb 4, 2011, 5:34 GMT

Tokyo - Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov Friday visited an island north-east of Japan that is subject of a sovereignty dispute with Tokyo, news reports said. The visit is likely to raise hackles in the Japanese capital.

Serdyukov visited Etorofu, one of the four disputed Kuril islands and was also to travel to two others on his a one-day 'military inspection trip,' to inspect the machinegun-artillery division deployed there, Kyodo News reported citing Russian defence officials.

Russia administrates the 56-island Kuril chain, but Japan claims sovereignty over the southernmost four islands.

Serdyukov's visit to Etorofu came just ahead of a scheduled trip to Moscow next week by Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, who is expected to discuss the territorial issue with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Serdyukov's trip was the latest in a series of visits to the disputed islands by high-ranking Russian officials, which started with a trip by President Dmitry Medvedev on November 1.

A government delegation led by Regional Development Minister Victor Basargin visited the islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu this week. Russian media quoted Basargin as saying that Moscow plans to speed up development of the islands to make them more attractive places to live and work.

Medvedev was the first Russian leader, including those of the Soviet Union, to visit the islands.

The Russian leader's visit infuriated Japanese former residents of the islands, who still hope to return to their old homes some day.

The four islands were under Japanese control until they were seized by Soviet forces after Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945.

Russia's defense minister touring disputed islands

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov arrived on Etorofu Island on Friday as he began a one-day military inspection trip to three Russian-held islands claimed by Japan off Hokkaido, Russian defense officials and local media said.

Serdyukov is scheduled to inspect the machinegun-artillery division deployed on Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan islands before returning to Khabarovsk later Friday, according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

He had a brief meeting with local military officials in the Far Eastern city, where the regional military headquarters is located, before leaving for the disputed islands earlier in the day.

Serdyukov will "inspect combat readiness and material provision of troops, as well as everyday living conditions of servicemen and their families," Itar-Tass quoted the press service of the headquarters as saying.

It is the latest in a recent series of visits to the disputed territory by high-ranking Russian officials, which began with a trip by President Dmitry Medvedev in November, and comes before the planned trip to Moscow next week by Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara.

Maehara will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during the visit from next Thursday, in which the territorial issue is likely to top the agenda of their talks.

The Japanese government has been irked by the visits to the disputed islands by Russian officials, also including First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin.

The three islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kurils, were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II along with the Habomai group of islets.

The dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a postwar peace treaty.

(Mainichi Japan) February 4, 2011