MOTEGI lodged a strong protest on the 13th after Putin landed on Etorofu Island
in the Northern Territories (the Southern Kurils in Russian) and inspected a
seafood-processing plant. The Kremlin said Putin spoke with workers, posed for
photos and sampled local caviar; it was his first visit to the islands. The
sovereignty dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a post-World War
II peace treaty.