[War] Japan/Russia: "Treaties and Agreements"

[Ian Martell]

"Treaties and Agreements"
President Leonid Nemerenko - Russia
Prime Minister Shunichi Sato - Japan
March 7th 2013

As his Tupolev passenger liner soured across the Pacific towards
China, President Nemerenko turned his thoughts towards Japan. The
sudden shakeup in Tokyo had taken Nemerenko by surprise, as had the
reaction of the Japanese people to the Kuril Islands Territorial
Treaty signed by both he and Sakai. Obviously Nemerenko and the former
PM had underestimated the national fervor of the populace.

"And it certainly cost you more than it did me, Professor," said
Nemerenko to himself. Sakai's removal was a political loss for
Nemerenko; it cost him a reliable and trustworthy ally in a major
world power, made especially worse when Asia was sliding into chaos.

Now he had to focus on salvaging what he and Sakai had tried to build
between Russia and Japan.

"Prime Minister Sato," said Nemerenko in flawless Japanese over the
satellite line once the communications officer indicated the linkup to
Tokyo was complete. "Congratulations on your appointment to office."

Sitting in his office at the Kantei Sato smiled. "Thank you," he said. "But
I wish it had come under better circumstances, Prime Minister Sakai will be
missed."

It was true, the man was brilliant, he just made a very big mistake and
Japanese politics had a low tolerance for mistakes.

"But I hope his leaving office does not sour the relationship between our
countries, there were was a lot of valuable agreements made in that summit,
even if one in particular is impossible now."

That was true, thought Nemerenko. The free trade treaty and arms
treaty were still alive, which were really the most beneficial to
Russia; the offer on the Kuril Islands was made simply as a means to
secure the former two agreements. The irony was not lost on him.

"The failure of the territorial treaty really changes nothing for my
country," said Nemerenko. "Russia still maintains control of the Kuril
Islands. I had offered Shikotan and Habomais to Sakai in the hopes of
finally ending this long-standing dispuite that has dogged relations
between Japan and Russia. But since the signing of the official
armistice in 2010 and the ratification of the other two agreements by
your government, this is really a victory. I have gotten everything I
wanted, and was able to keep all of the Kurils in the process."

"For now," Sato said with a smile in his voice. "But I am glad to hear you
are happy with your victory, we are happy with the deals in trade and
technological co-operation and the Kurils can be settled another day."

He wanted all of them, as Nemerenko suspected. It mattered little;
nothing had changed over the past seventy years and nothing was going
to change in the next.

"Will you be attending the summit in Beijing in regards to North Korea?"

"Yes, this call is my last bit of business before I leave for the airport.
What's been your thoughts on this situation so far?"

"Originally I had felt some relief over China's invasion," admitted
Nemerenko. "North Korea was the greatest threat to the peace and
security of the Far East. Now however I am beginning to have
reservations as to China's long-term goals in North Korea. I am
starting to share the fears of President Williams that China has no
intention of allowing the reunification of the Korean states."

"I share those same fears as well, it is in their interests to have a
resource poor puppet state on their border who's army is very compatible 
with
their own. Reunifications would have no strategic benefit for them, in fact
it would be a determent."

He pondered that a moment. A Chinese controlled North Korea was a dagger put
to the throat of Seoul and to a lesser extent Tokyo and would likely have
more of a destabilizing effect on the security of East Asia than a calming
one. When it was just crazy Kim Jong-Il, you could slap him down without a
certain military response from China. Now. Who knew?

"If I might be as so bold as to suggest we join forces at this conference
and do as much as we can to push for reunification?"

There wasn't much they could do. Sato expected this would be something like
his visit to Akita prefecture a couple of days ago. A photo op with a few
chances to see some things of value.

"I will certainly help you influence President Hong into allow the
reunification of Korea, but I fear that her government will not be
persuaded from their current plan to create a sovereign North Korean
state," answered Nemerenko. "It is her intent to allow North Korea to
negotiate the terms of reunification on its own, or so she has told
us."

"I somehow doubt a Chinese established government however sovereign would be
all that inclined to join with the South. Anyhow I suppose there is not much
we can do except make our point known at the summit and do what we can to
direct the shape of things to come. With that in mind this is what I was
planning to propose. First, a join task force of medical specialists to
combat the new stains of disease coming out of North Korea, I think while it
is mainly a problem for the North Koreans and Chinese now, with refugees and
aid workers going in and out of those areas it could quickly become a
regional concern. Second, is access for the nations at the summit to the
North Korea market, not that there is much of one, but trade is access to
government and we gain some influence if we can, say open factories in North
Korea and offer them jobs. What do you think can we count on your support?"

"I do not think that is unreasonable," agreed Nemerenko. "I will
support such propositions to the Chinese."

"Good," Sato said. "Anything you would like my support on as we go into
this?"

"No, not at the moment."

Actions:

1> Japan and Russia agree to uphold the military and ecconomic treaties 
signed in the Moscow Summit, while the Kuril Agreement will be allowed to 
fall through.
2> Russia agrees to join Japan in asking China for a group medical effort 
aimed at combatting the diseases coming out of North Korea. As well as 
asking to allow the NK provisonal government to make independent ecconomic 
agreements within a reasonable span of time (1-2 months).

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