New minister for southern Kuril islands affairs: I am an amateur in this issue

Baku. 7 August. REPORT.AZ/ Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories (Russian Southern Kurils in Japanese) Affairs Tetsuma Esaki in a conversation with reporters admitted that he has scant knowledge of the territorial issue with the Russian Federation.

Report informs citing TASS, he said answering a question while visiting his constituency in Aichi Prefecture.

He said that he is an amateur in the issue of "northern territories". "I will need to learn more about it as I have scant knowledge of issue. [During the debates in the parliament] I will carefully read the statements prepared by my administration", the minister said.

Notably, Japan claims the Kuril Islands (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, Habomai), which are under the control of Russia.