Russia: The Southern Kurils Are Open for Business

Russia is inviting international business into its competition with Japan over the Kuril Islands. The islands lie off the coast of Japan's northernmost Hokkaido prefecture, and both Russia and Japan claim sovereignty over them, though Russia actually controls them. Tokyo wants to eventually either regain full control over the islands or at least secure joint economic and administrative management. But Russia has shown little interest in any deal that would compromise its territorial integrity. And now that other foreign interests will have a stake in the competition, Japan's goals will be even more difficult to reach....