Over Half of Japanese Citizens Oppose Economic Cooperation With Russia

Polls in Japan show that more than half of respondents oppose the strengthening of economic cooperation with Russia.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — According to Kyodo news agency, 53.2 percent of the Japanese respondents oppose strengthening of economic cooperation between Japan and Russia, whereas 36.6 percent support the idea.

Earlier this week, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) agreed to launch an investment fund to provide money for different joint projects. In addition, Japanese government reportedly was considering some joint economic projects on the Kuril islands.

The relations between Japan and Russia are tainted by the lack of the peace treaty after World War II. Japan claims back four Kuril islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Habomai and Iturup, which became part of the Soviet Union's territory according to the outcomes of WWII. Moscow maintains that the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty transferring control of the islands to the Soviet Union establishes Russian sovereignty over the Kurils.