Japan calls Russia's South Kuril Islands 'illegally occupied'

The Japanese authorities have reinstated the formulation about the status of South Kuril Islands. These islands are "are an inalienable part of Japan and are currently illegally occupied by Russia."

The wording will be used in the annual Foreign Policy Blue Book on Diplomacy, according to the Kyodo news agency.

For today's Japan, the South Kurils are the "illegally occupied" territories.

It became known that with regard to the northern territories, a sharp expression was reinstated that referred to those lands as the territories that are an inalienable part of Japan and are currently illegally occupied by Russia, Kyodo said.

Earlier, Japan set out a protest to Russia over military exercises in the Kuril Islands. Russia's actions "do not correspond to the position of our country and are unacceptable," Japanese officials then said.

On March 21, Russia refused to negotiate a peace treaty with Japan. In addition, the Russian side has completed a dialogue on establishing joint economic activities in the South Kurils.