Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Because of the ongoing dispute over the four southernmost Kuril Islands and the consequential absence of a peace treaty, Russia and Japan are yet to fully normalize their relations. However, under President Putin’s personal leadership and due to his close relations with Japanese Prime Minister Abe, Russia-Japan ties have reached a high level of cooperation in political, strategic, economic, and cultural fields. However, given the persistent differences in the two countries’ official positions on the territorial dispute, it is difficult to envision a major breakthrough in the peace treaty negotiations at the present time. This paper will provide a thorough examination and assessment of Russia’s Japan policy during the second term of the Putin Presidency (2012-2018). It will provide an in-depth overview of the emerging changes in Russia’s policy toward Japan in the context of Russia’s strategy of the so-called “pivot” toward Asia and the “Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation” (released in 2016) that highlight the growing importance of Japan as Russia’s international and economic partner. In spite of the economic sanctions placed on Russia by Japan due to the 2014 Ukrainian crisis, the two countries’ economic, strategic and humanitarian cooperation has been expanding in recent years. As Russia-Japan international cooperation has also recently become more robust (particularly on the North Korean denuclearization, counterterrorism, and other issues of strategic stability), the paper will also discuss the future prospects for the full normalization of Russia-Japan ties in the context of the regional security and economic development in the Asia-Pacific.