ロシア副首相が択捉島視察　プーチン氏訪問の地ならしか

　ロシア極東サハリン州政府は１２日、トルトネフ副首相兼極東連邦管区大統領全権代表が北方領土の択捉島を訪れたと発表した。観光分野を中心に開発状況を視察したという。５月にプーチン政権が通算５期目に入って以降、政権幹部の訪問は初とみられる。
　プーチン大統領は１月、将来の北方領土訪問に意欲を表明した。トルトネフ氏の視察は地ならしの可能性もあり、日本側の警戒が強まりそうだ。
　プーチン氏は６月にも内外メディアのインタビューで、北方領土訪問について「ロシア領の一部であり、ためらう理由が分からない」と発言。自身の訪問が日ロ関係に与える影響は限定的という認識を示した。（2024/07/12-18:58）

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev has visited one of four Russian-held islands that Japan calls its Northern Territories, the Sakhalin state government said Friday.
   Trutnev, also the presidential envoy to Russia's Far East, was said to have inspected tourism development on Etorofu Island. He had visited the same island in July last year.
   The latest visit is believed to be the first by a senior Russian government official to any of the disputed islands since the beginning of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fifth term.
   In January, Putin expressed his willingness to visit the islands in the future. Trutnev's visit may have been intended to pave the way for a future trip by Putin.
   In a press interview in June, Putin claimed that he had no reason to hesitate to visit the islands because they are part of Russian territory, and that the impact of his possible visit on relations with Japan would be limited.