[Title] Tokyo Declaration on Japan-Russia Relations

The Prime Minister of Japan and The President of the Russian Federation

Based upon the recognition that, with the end of the Cold war, the world is moving away from the structure of confrontation towards cooperation which will open new vistas for advances in international cooperation on both global and regional levels as well as in bilateral relations between different countries, and that this is creating favorable conditions for the full normalization of the Japan-Russia bilateral relations;

Declaring that Japan and the Russian Federation share the universal values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the respect for fundamental human rights;

Recalling that the promotion of market economy and free trade contributes to the prosperity of the economies of both countries and to the sound development of the global economy;

Believing firmly that the success of the reforms underway in the Russian Federation is of decisive importance for building a new world political and economic order;

Affirming the importance of building the relations between the two countries in accordance with the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter;

Determined that Japan and the Russian Federation should work together on the basis of the spirit of international cooperation, overcoming the legacy of totalitarianism, to build a new international order and to fully normalize their bilateral relations,

Declare the following:

1. The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation share the recognition that the democratic and economic reforms underway in the Russian Federation are of tremendous significance not only for the people of Russia but also for the entire world. They are also of the view that the Russian Federation's successful transition to a true market economy and its smooth integration into the democratic international community are indispensable factors for increasing stability in the world and making the process of forming a new international order irreversible. In this regard, the Prime Minister of Japan conveyed to the President of the Russian Federation the following message from the leaders of the G7 countries and the representatives of the European Community:

"We regret that the armed clash in Moscow which was provoked by the supporters of the former parliament resulted in many victims. We nevertheless welcome the fact that the situation has ended and law and order is being restored including respect of human rights.

We reconfirm that our support remains unchanged for democratic reform and economic reform pursued by President Yeltsin. We strongly hope that a truly democratic society which reflects the will of the people will be born through free and fair election of the new parliament with broad participation of the people and that reform will be further promoted."

2. The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation, sharing the recognition that the difficult legacies of the past in the relations between the two countries must be overcome, have undertaken serious negotiations on the issue of where Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands belong. They agree that negotiations towards an early conclusion of a peace treaty through the solution of this issue on the basis of historical and legal facts and based on the documents produced with the two countries' agreement as well as on the principles of law and justice should continue, and that the relations between the two countries should thus be fully normalized. In this regard, the Government of Japan and the Government of the Russian Federation confirm that the Russian Federation is the State retaining continuing identity with the Soviet Union and that all treaties and other internationals agreements between Japan and the Soviet Union continue to be applied between Japan and the Russian Federation.

The Government of Japan and the Government of the Russian Federation recall that constructive dialogue has taken place in the Peace Treaty Working Group between the two countries, and that one of the fruits thereof has been the joint publication in September 1992 of the Joint Compendium of Documents on the History of Territorial Problems between Japan and Russia.

The Government of Japan and the Government of the Russian Federation agree to take a series of measures aimed at increased mutual understanding, including further facilitation of mutual visits between the current residents of the aforementioned islands and the residents of Japan that have been conducted within the framework agreed upon between the two countries.

3. The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation, convinced that expanded political dialogue is a beneficial and effective means to promote Japan-Russia relations, agree to continue, deepen, and develop political dialogue through regular mutual visits at the levels of the Heads of State and Government, the Ministers and the Vice-Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

4. The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation welcome the progress thus far achieved in the area of arms control and disarmament, confirm the need for faithful implementation thereof, and share the recognition that it is important to further promote such a process and to make it irreversible.

They share the recognition that the dismantling of nuclear weapons and the ensuing storage, control and disposal of fissile materials have an important bearing on the security of the entire world, and confirm their intention to cooperate in these areas. Furthermore, they confirm that the ocean dumping of radioactive wastes raises a grave concern on a global scale, particularly due to its effects on the environment of the neighboring countries, and agree to consult closely through the Japan-Russia Joint Working Group to consider this problem further.

They welcome the signing of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Paris in January 1993, and express their expectation for as many countries as possible joining the Convention and thereby contributing to peace and stability of the world. They also agree to cooperate closely for effectively securing non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, related material and components, and technologies and knowledge, as well as for promoting increased transparency in transfers of conventional weapons.

5. The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation, based on the common principles of freedom and openness, share the recognition on the potential for remarkable development which the Asia-Pacific region may demonstrate in the world in the 21st century. They confirm the significance of the Russian Federation's becoming an active and constructive partner in the region by implementing the principles of law and justice to further contribute to the development of political and economic relations among the countries in this region. They also share the recognition that the full normalization of the relations between Japan and the Russian Federation, both of which play important roles in the Asia-Pacific region, is of essential importance, in the context of making this region a region of peace and stability as well as a place for developing economic cooperation based on free trading system open to all countries and regions, including the Russian Federation.

The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation, based on their shared recognition of the need for promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, confirm the importance of dialogue between the authorities of their two governments on a wide range of issues including security, and agree to further activate such exchanges.

6. The Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Russian Federation note the ongoing deliberations at the United Nations on such issues as how the United Nations should function and be structured, so that it can play a central role in maintaining and creating a new world peace while adapting itself to the changing international circumstances, and agree to engage in common efforts to enhance the authority of the United Nations by further activating the contributions by both countries to the United Nations' efforts for solving global and regional problems.

In Tokyo, the thirteenth day of October nineteen hundred ninety three:

Morihiro Hosokawa

Prime Minister of Japan

Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin

President of the Russian Federation