北方領土は「不法占拠」　外交青書原案に明記

　外務省は３１日、自民党外交部会などの合同会議で、２０２２年版外交青書の原案を示した。北方領土について「日本固有の領土であるが、現在ロシアに不法占拠されている」と明記。外交青書で「不法占拠」と言及したのは２００３年以来となる。ロシアによるウクライナ侵攻を深刻に捉え、日本も原則的立場を明確にする必要があると判断した。日ロ平和条約交渉は「展望を語れる状況にはない」と記した。
　青書はウクライナ侵攻を「人類が過去１世紀築き上げた武力行使の禁止、法の支配、人権の尊重といった国際秩序の根幹への挑戦で、決して許されない」と強い表現で非難し、「歴史の大転機」と位置付けた。ロシアの意図については「冷戦後失った勢力圏を取り戻す」ことと分析した。（2022/03/31-15:55）

Japan's Foreign Ministry says in a draft of its Diplomatic Bluebook for 2022 that four northwestern Pacific islands at the center of a territorial row between Japan and Russia are illegally occupied by Moscow.
   The draft, presented at a meeting including members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Foreign Affairs Division on Thursday, states that the islands are inherent territory of Japan.
   It is the first time since 2003 for the Diplomatic Bluebook to describe the islands, known in Japan as the Northern territories, as being illegally occupied by Russia. The change in tone comes as Tokyo sees it necessary to clarify its fundamental stance on the matter, seriously taking Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24.
   The islands were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II. The territorial row has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities. The draft for the annual report says, "We are not in a situation where we can talk about the outlook" for Japan-Russia peace treaty negotiations.
   It strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it is "a challenge against the foundations of the international order built up by human beings over the past century, including the prohibition on the use of force, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and can thus never be tolerated."