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The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 11, 2012)
Japan needs solid strategy for territorial talks with Russia
日露首脳会談　領土交渉への土俵を固めよ（9月9日付・読売社説）

Before holding further territorial talks with Russia, Japan must firstly strengthen the base of its negotiation stance.
　まずは交渉の土俵をしっかりと固めていかなければならない。

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit meeting in Vladivostok in Far East Russia. The two leaders confirmed talks would continue over the Russian-held northern territories off Hokkaido.
　野田首相とプーチン露大統領がロシア極東のウラジオストクで会談し、北方領土交渉の継続を確認した。

Tokyo and Moscow will deepen talks on the islands at a vice-ministerial meeting scheduled for autumn and when the Japanese prime minister visits Russia in December.
今秋に予定される日露次官級協議、１２月をメドとする首相の訪露で議論を深めることになる。

Recent friction with China and South Korea over the Senkaku and Takeshima islands has prompted hard-hitting questions about Japan's stance over its own sovereignty and territory. With Russia also, the government must work persistently to find a solution to the northern territories dispute based on historical facts and documents.
　尖閣諸島や竹島の問題を契機に、日本の主権・領土に対する姿勢が厳しく問われている。北方領土問題でも、政府は歴史的な経緯と文書を踏まえ、粘り強く解決を模索しなければならない。

The latest talks between Noda and Putin followed their first meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico, in June, where they agreed to "revive" long-stalled talks on the territorial issue.
　野田、プーチン両首脳の会談は、領土交渉の「再活性化」で合意した６月のメキシコ・ロスカボスに続いて２度目だ。

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Quiet, constructive talks needed

During the talks, Noda told Putin "consideration must be paid to public sentiment" in Japan as a condition for the territorial negotiations. He also requested the Russian leader hold discussions "in a quiet and constructive environment."
　今回、野田首相は、交渉の前提として日本の国民感情への配慮が必要と指摘し、「静かで建設的な環境」での議論を求めた。

Noda's remarks apparently were referring to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's provocative landing on Kunashiri--one of the islands in the northern territories--in July. Moscow must not be allowed to "Russianize" the territories by faits accomplis with unilateral development of them, at a time when talks on the islands are poised to resume.
　メドベージェフ露首相が７月に国後島に上陸して日本を挑発したことを念頭に置いた発言だ。日露間で交渉しようというのに、北方領土開発の既成事実を積み重ね、一方的に「ロシア化」を進めることは、断じて許されない。

Putin agreed with Noda that the issue should be solved in a quiet atmosphere without stirring up public sentiment. We think Putin should do what he said.
　プーチン大統領も「世論を刺激せず、静かな雰囲気の下で解決していきたい」と言明した。言葉通りの行動をとるべきである。

In economic discussions, Noda welcomed Russia's recent entry to the World Trade Organization. He also said Japan will cooperate in the development of Siberia in the Russian Far East if mutual trust is further enhanced.
　経済分野では、野田首相がロシアの世界貿易機関（ＷＴＯ）加盟を歓迎し、極東シベリア開発についても「相互信頼が進めば協力が現実のものとなる」と語った。

Putin expressed his expectation for increased investment from Japan. However, we hope Moscow will first improve Russia's investment climate, including the abolition of trade barriers.
　大統領は日本の投資拡大に期待感を表明したが、ロシアには、貿易障壁の撤廃など投資環境を一層改善してもらいたい。

After their talks, the two leaders witnessed a signing ceremony of a memorandum on construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal near Vladivostok, a project that Japanese firms and the Russian energy company Gazprom are working on.
　会談後、両首脳は、液化天然ガス（ＬＮＧ）工場建設に関する覚書の署名式に立ち会った。ウラジオストク近郊で、日本企業とロシア国営のガスプロムが進めているプロジェクトである。

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Mutual benefits await

Russia is developing natural resources in its Far East region. Japan's demand for LNG has increased since the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, so ensuring a stable supply of the fuel for thermal power generation and importing the gas from a wider array of countries have become important issues for Japan. Energy cooperation will have huge merits for Japan and Russia.
　ロシアは極東の資源開発を進めている。日本では原発事故以来、ＬＮＧの需要が増え、火力発電用燃料の安定調達と輸入先の多様化が課題だ。エネルギーに関しては日露双方にメリットが大きい。

Tokyo and Moscow also inked a treaty on measures to control poaching and smuggling of crabs and other marine products in the Okhotsk Sea.
　両政府はまた、オホーツク海のカニなど水産物の密漁・密輸入対策に関する協定にも署名した。

These are not the only fields in which Japan and Russia can jointly work and benefit. Bilateral relations have strategic importance for both countries when it comes to dealing with China, which is expanding both economically and militarily.
　日露両国が連携し、ともに利益を享受できるのは、こうした分野にとどまらない。経済、軍事の両面で膨張し続ける中国と向き合っていくうえで、日露関係には戦略的な重要性がある。

We think Japan and Russia should deepen their interdependence because it could lead to a solution to the dispute over the northern territories.
　北方領土問題を解決する道筋をつけるためにも、日露の相互依存を深めていくべきだろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 9, 2012)
（2012年9月9日01時26分 読売新聞）