V. PERIOD AFTER NEGOTIATIONS OF THE NORMALIZATION OF JAPANESE-SOVIET RELATIONS

Excellency,

I have the honor to refer to the letter of Prime Minister Hatoyama of September 11, 1956 and the reply of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of September 13, 1956, and to announce the following:

The Government of Japan is ready to enter into negotiations in Moscow on the normalization of Japanese-Soviet relations without the conclusion of a peace treaty at this time, as it was noted in the letter of Prime Minister Hatoyama as referred to above. At the same time the Japanese Government thinks that after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations as a result of these negotiations, it is quite desirable that Japanese-Soviet relations develop even further on the basis of a formal peace treaty, which would also include the territorial issue.

With regard to this, the Japanese Government assumes that negotiations on the conclusion of a peace treaty including the territorial issue will continue after the reestablishment of normal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In entering into negotiations according to the letter of Prime Minister Hatoyama, I should be grateful if the Soviet Government would also confirm beforehand that it shares the same intention.

I avail myself of this opportunity to extend to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.

S. Matsumoto
Plenipotentiary Representative of
the Japanese Government

His Excellency
Mr. A.A. Gromyko
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Excellency,

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's letter of September 29, 1956, which reads as follows:

[Japanese Note]

I have further the honor to inform you on behalf of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that the Soviet Government accepts the view of the Japanese Government referred to above and announces its agreement to continue negotiations on the conclusion of a peace treaty, which would also include the territorial issue, after the reestablishment of normal diplomatic relations.

I avail myself of this opportunity to extend to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.

A.A. Gromyko
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

His Excellency
Mr. S. Matsumoto
Plenipotentiary Representative of
the Japanese Government

9. Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics agree to continue, after the restoration of normal diplomatic relations between Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, negotiations for the conclusion of a peace treaty.

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, desiring to meet the wishes of Japan and taking into consideration the interests of Japan, agrees to hand over to Japan the Habomai Islands and the island of Shikotan. However, the actual handing over the these islands to Japan shall take place after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

(Signed on October 19, 1956 in Moscow. Ratified on December 7, 1956. The exchange of instruments of ratification took place on December 12, 1956, in Tokyo.)

But the Soviet Union certainly cannot ignore such a step as Japan's conclusion of a new military treaty which undermines the basis for peace in the Far East and creates obstacles to the development of Soviet-Japanese relations. A new situation has formed in relation to the fact that this treaty actually deprives Japan of independence and that foreign troops stationed in Japan as a result of Japan's surrender remain on Japanese territory. This situation makes it impossible for the Soviet Government to fulfill its promises to return the islands of Habomai and Shikotan to Japan.

It is because the Soviet Government met Japan's wishes and took into consideration the interests of Japan and the peace-loving intentions expressed by the Japanese Government during the Soviet-Japanese negotiations that it agreed to hand over such islands to Japan after the signing of a peace treaty.

But since the new military treaty signed by the Japanese Government is directed against the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, the Soviet Government cannot contribute to extending the territory available to foreign troops by handing over such islands to Japan.

Thus, the Soviet Government finds it necessary to declare that the islands of Habomai and Shikotan will be handed over to Japan, as was stated in the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration of October 19, 1956, only if all foreign troops are withdrawn from Japan and a Soviet-Japanese peace treaty is signed.

The Government of Japan considers it necessary to lay out the position of Japan with regard to the memorandum which was handed to Japanese Ambassador to the USSR Kadowaki by USSR Minister of Foreign Affairs Gromyko on January 27 and which refers to Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States of America which has been recently signed.

...It is extremely incomprehensible that in its latest memorandum, the Soviet Government is connecting the issue of the revised Japan-US Security Treaty with the issue of handing over the islands of Habomai and Shikotan. As regards the islands of Habomai and Shikotan, the Joint Declaration by Japan and the Soviet Union states the following clearly: "the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, desiring to meet the wishes of Japan and taking into consideration the interests of Japan, agrees to hand over to Japan the islands of Habomai and Shikotan. However, the actual handing over of these islands to Japan shall take place after the conclusion of a peace treaty between Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."

This Joint Declaration is an international agreement regulating the foundations of the relationship between Japan and the Soviet Union. It is an official international document which has been ratified by the highest organs of both countries. It is needless to say that the contents of this solemn international undertaking cannot be changed unilaterally. Moreover, since the current Japan-U.S. Security Treaty which is valid indefinitely already existed and foreign troops were present in Japan when the Joint Declaration by Japan and Soviet Union was signed, it must be said that the Declaration was signed on the basis of these facts. Consequently, there is no reason that the agreements in the Joint Declaration should be affected in any way.

The Government of Japan cannot approve of the Soviet attempt to attach new conditions for the provisions of the Joint Declaration on the territorial issue and thereby to change the contents of the Declaration. Our country will keep insisting on the reversion not only of the islands of Habomai and Shikotan but also of the other islands which are inherent parts of Japanese territory.

1. Recognizing that the settlement of unresolved problems left over from WWII and conclusion of a peace treaty would contribute to the establishment of truly good-neighborly and friendly relations between the two countries, both sides held negotiations on issues pertaining to the contents of a peace treaty. Both sides agreed to continue negotiations on the conclusion of a peace treaty between the two countries at an appropriate time in 1974.