Russian President Putin recently visited Iturup Island, which is part of the Kuril Islands (referred to as the Northern Four Islands by Japan), a disputed territory between Russia and Japan. Japan strongly protested this visit. Putin mentioned his experiences during the visit for the first time on August 29.
According to a report by the Japanese Kyodo News on August 31, Putin mentioned the visit to the island during a meeting with education-related officials in Moscow on the 29th. He expressed admiration for the local rich resources of tuna and whales. This may be the first time Putin has shared his thoughts after his visit on the 13th of this month in a public setting.
Putin spread his arms at the meeting and said, "When I walked along the coast, big tuna jumped out of the water." He mentioned, "Whales swim everywhere, and sharks are chasing the tuna."
Besides Putin also said "heroic past, present prosperity will make Russia stronger."
On August 13, Putin visited the disputed Russian-Japanese island of the South Kuriles, causing new tensions in Russian-Japanese relations. According to Tass, this was Putin's first visit to the South Kuriles.
The issue of who owns the South Kuril Islands is one of the major obstacles to the development of Russian-Japanese relations. It is also because of this dispute that Russia and Japan have yet to conclude a peace treaty since the end of World War II. Japan's condemnation and sanctions against Russia regarding the conflict with Russia have interrupted negotiations on issues related to the disputed islands.
