The Japanese and Russian agriculture ministries have affirmed they are carrying out joint agricultural activities on the disputed islands, controlled by Moscow but that have been claimed by Tokyo since the end of World War II.
The first meeting took place in Tokyo on June 19, and was co-chaired by senior officials from the two governments.
This is part of the agreement reached between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Vladimir Putin at the Japan-Russia summit in December last year. The two countries have not yet signed a peace treaty to end WWII, due to the territorial issue.
The four islands stretch from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido to Russia’s southern Kamchatka Peninsula. Japan calls the islands the Northern Territories, while Russia calls them the Southern Kurils.
In December, Abe and Putin agreed to start joint economic projects on the islands. They include building Japanese high-tech greenhouses to grow tomatoes and cucumbers as well as producing wood pellets, which are used as a renewable energy source.
During the official meeting, Japan asked Russia for support when a Japanese business delegation, which includes trading companies and food makers, is to visit the islands in late July.
Specifically, the Japanese agriculture ministry asked their Russian counterparts to provide information about what incentives the local government offers to encourage foreign investment and how Japanese companies can explore cooperation with local firms.
Tokyo is considering whether it is feasible to make the islands a source to produce grains to procure as animal feeds for the Japanese market, while Moscow is interested in attracting Japanese investment to Russia’s Far-east.