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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/japan-calls-for-return-of-islands.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the Kuril islands sparked Japanese anger" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/min-japan-calls-for-return-of-islands.jpg" alt="Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the Kuril islands sparked Japanese anger"/></a></p>
<p>Japan&#8217;s Prime Minister Naoto Kan has led a large rally demanding the return of several islands held by Russia since the end of the Second World War and calling the recent visit there by Russia&#8217;s president an outrage.</p>
<p>The dispute over the southern Kuril islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, has long been a sticking point in relations between the two countries and has prevented them from signing a formal peace treaty ending their Second World War hostilities.</p>
<p>Japan designated February 7 as &#8220;Northern Territories Day&#8221;, saying that a treaty dating back to that day in 1855 supports its claim to the islands.</p>
<p>Mr Kan was the top speaker at a government-backed rally of about 1,500 people in Tokyo that has been held annually since 1981 to mark the anniversary. He vowed that Japan will not back down from its claim and said visits to the islands by Russian leaders are &#8220;an unforgivable outrage&#8221;.</p>
<p>A smaller rally and march were held on the northern island of Hokkaido.</p>
<p>Russia&#8217;s position on its own claim appears to be getting more assertive in recent months.</p>
<p>President Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the islands when he toured them in November. Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected military garrisons on the islands last week and said Moscow is planning to upgrade the troops&#8217; weapons there.</p>
<p>Both trips generated sharp protests from Tokyo, which claims Soviet army occupation of the territory just before Japan&#8217;s surrender in 1945 was an act of illegal aggression.</p>
<p>The islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and are believed to have offshore oil and natural gas reserves, plus gold and silver deposits. They lie as close as six miles to Japan&#8217;s Hokkaido island and are also near undisputed Russian territory.</p>
<p>Japan&#8217;s foreign minister is scheduled to visit Moscow on Thursday and the islands dispute is likely to be at the top of his agenda. Progress is not expected.</p>
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