During a meeting with Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Jan. 14, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted that Russia holds sovereignty over the Northern Territories. In reference to this remark, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference on Jan. 15 after a cabinet meeting, “The government’s legal position remains unchanged.” The administration maintains that the former Soviet Union has continued to unlawfully occupy the four Northern Islands since Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration. Regarding the foreign ministerial meeting, the cabinet chief said, “I’ve been informed that the two ministers held earnest discussions.”