Uzbekistan considers the Kuril problem as a bilateral affair of Japan and Russia

Uzbekistan considers the Kuril Islands problem exclusively as a bilateral matter between Japan and Russia, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies Sanjar Valiyev said.

“This is a bilateral problem, and there are no countries in the world that have a position on it. Because it is a matter of purely bilateral relations. Japan and Russia do not turn to some third parties or organization to find solutions to this issue,” Valiyev said.

He also pointed out that during the visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Japan, this issue will not be raised at the talks. 

It should be noted that the San Francisco Peace Treaty, signed between the Allies and Japan in 1951, states that Japan must give up “all right, title and claim to the Kuril Islands”, but it also does not recognize the Soviet Union’s sovereignty over them. Japan claims that at least some of the disputed islands are not a part of the Kuril Islands, and thus are not covered by the treaty. Russia maintains that the Soviet Union's sovereignty over the islands was recognized in post-war agreements.