The FINANCIAL — According to RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart Masahiko Komura agreed on April 14 to continue negotiations on a bilateral peace treaty to formally end World War II hostilities.
Russia and Japan have failed to sign a formal peace treaty due to their territorial dispute over the South Kuril Islands, former Japanese territory annexed by the Soviet Union after World War II.
"We have decided to continue dialogue on the territorial dispute to reach an agreement," Lavrov told the press after talks in Moscow.
When visiting the South Kurils last year, Lavrov proposed that Russia and Japan cooperate in developing the region. However, Tokyo has not yet responded to the proposal, fearing that consent might be taken as recognition of Russia's ownership of the territory.
Komura put forward the idea of a Russian-Japanese summit to be held before the G8 in Japan in July.
"The two countries' foreign ministers have agreed that it would be useful to hold such a top-level meeting soon," the minister said, without giving a timeframe.
"If such a meeting is held ahead of the July summit, it would help bring relations between Russia and Japan to a higher level and establish personal relations between the two countries' leaders," Komura said.
Lavrov announced after the talks that Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev would hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda at the G8 summit. Medvedev will take over as president on May 7, when Vladimir Putin steps down.
"Consultations on preparing this meeting will take place in Tokyo in early June," Lavrov said.
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