At the Upper House budget committee meeting on Jan. 30, Upper House member Muneo Suzuki of Nippon Ishin [Japan Innovation Party] raised questions about remarks made by former Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shotaro Yachi over Japan-Russia peace treaty negotiations covering the Northern Territory issue. Suzuki said Yachi’s remarks violate confidentiality. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not touch on the authenticity of the remarks and only said, “I think he made the remarks within the scope of confidentiality.”

On a Fuji TV BS program broadcast on Jan. 24, Yachi said that Russia is demanding (1) Japan’s acknowledgement that the Northern Territories officially became part of Russia as a result of the World War II,  (2) the withdrawal of all foreign forces currently stationed in Japan, and (3) discussions on the territorial issue after concluding an unconditional peace treaty.