the kuril islands problem

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The Kuril Islands Problem Presentation was made by a second-year student Timoshenko Olga

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Page 1: The kuril islands problem

The Kuril Islands ProblemPresentation was made by a second-year student

Timoshenko Olga

Page 2: The kuril islands problem

PRESENTATION OUTLINE1. Introduction2. Meetings in Protest3. Some facts from the history4. Argumentation-Russian arguments-Japanese arguments

5. Possible solution

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Introduction The impetus for this short essay was the bill adopted by the Japanese Parliament on July 3, 2009. It declared that the Kuril Islands “have always been Japanese territory.” This decision raised strong objections on the Russian side.

Page 4: The kuril islands problem

Meetings in Protest

About 750 residents of the Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk protested against Japan’s claim to four disputed Pacific islands. “The islands were, are and will be ours,” said Yuri Andreyev, acting chairman of the city’s council of WWII veterans. We witness tension in relations between the two countries. The aim of this essay is to suggest a solution to the problem of the Kuril Islands that, I hope, will be acceptable to both the Russians and the Japanese.

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Some Facts from History

The Kuril Islands comprise 56 islands in total and many more minor rocks that stretch from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan’s Hokkaido Island. The map shows the geographical position of the islands.

Retreat of the Russian Army after the Battle of Mukden

Japanese soldiers

surrendering to the Red Army.

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ArgumentationRussian arguments

The native inhabitants of the Islands are Ainu people that have nothing in common with the Japanese. T The name of the Islands, under which they are known all over the world, is of Russian origin. discovery of the Islands. In World War II, Japan was a faithful ally of fascist Germany. Japan was defeated and must pay for it in the same way as Germany did. As soon as the Kurils are ceded the USA will build military bases on them to deprive Russia of control over the Sea of Okhotsk and greatly undermine the security of Russia on the whole. Ceding the islands will cause unrest in Russian society.

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ArgumentationJapanese arguments

The Kurils came under the Japanese jurisdiction in the 16th century, while Russians appeared there in the 18th century, i.e. two hundred years later. The Russian government hasn’t cared for these territories or the people living there. Japan is overpopulated; it desperately needs these territories to expand its Lebensraum. The decision to cede the islands will solve the territorial problem forever., which will help increase living standards in the Russian Far East. According to the treaty signed by President Putin in 2004, Russia ceded to China several big islands in the Amur River without getting any distinct profit.

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Possible solution The solution of the Kuril Islands problem can be developed only if it conforms to the national interests of both sides, Russia and Japan. It is important to specify precisely what a national interest is. My definition runs as follows: a national interest involves the solution of problems vital to the specific country at a given historic stage of its development.