| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
|
|---|
| Research Abstract |
In today's there exist about 160 boundary or territorial disputes. Each conflict stems from a variety of causes, and its ways of solution (or causes of non-settlement) vary from a case to another. Because of such differences we cannot easily conduct comparative studies of those conflicts. However, as long as we do keep such limitations in our mind, it is still possible and even worthwhile for us to conduct comparative studies of boundary and territorial disputes and conflicts. Russia and Ukraine In 1997 the Russian President Yeltsin decided to officially transfer the Crimean Peninsula to Ukraine. In terms of history, population, national security and psychology, ties between Russia and Ukraine are far greater than those between Russia and the Southern Kuril islands (the Northern islands). Why, then, did the Yeltsin leadership make such a bold decision? Put it simply, there was a "policy imperative" to make such a decision. Otherwise, Ukraine may join the NATO, thereby depriving Russia
… More
of a geopolitical buffer zone, separating Russia from the West. Russia and China The Gorbachev and the Yeltsin administration concluded with China border demarcation agreements, as a result of which Russia returned a number of disputed islands to China. Why did they so? Russia has been greatly concerned about the rise of China, particularly the growth of Chinese population in the border areas between Russia and China. Here again "the policy imperative" existed and worked. Kaliningrad problem and the Northern Territories dispute. If Poland and Lithuania join EU and /or NATO by 2004, the Kaliningrad region will be a really enclave, completely separated from the mainland Russia. By that time the current President Putin will have to make some bold decisions on the fate of the region. On the other hand, a similar type of emergency or "policy imperative" does not exist with regard to Russia's the territorial dispute with Japan. If a "policy imperative" emerges, the Northern Territorial dispute will be also suddenly forced to be settled. Less
|
