Russia warns disagreements hinder peace talks with Japan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: AP

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow after talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, Lavrov said it would be difficult to make progress in peace talks if Tokyo did not first recognize Moscow's sovereignty over the disputed islands. However, the Russian foreign minister stressed that Russia and Japan agreed to develop more ambitious projects to promote joint economic activity on the disputed islands.

According to Foreign Minister Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to seek a solution to the peace treaty that would satisfy the citizens of both countries, which is a difficult task, but both Moscow and Tokyo are ready to make efforts to achieve this result.

Senior officials from the Russian and Japanese foreign ministries will brief the leaders of the two countries on progress in peace treaty negotiations, the Russian foreign minister said.

Russia and Japan have been embroiled in a seven-decade territorial dispute over the islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan also claims and calls the Northern Territories.

Also at the press conference, Foreign Minister Lavrov accused the US of developing a global missile defense system in Japan of harming the security of Russia and China, and contributing to increasing the risk of militarization in the region.