Opening the talks, Putin said: "It’s very pleasant that our meetings have become regular, this allows us to discuss issues related to fostering bilateral relations and the situation in the region." He noted that issues on many areas have been worked out, including on a peace treaty.

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began their talks in Moscow on Tuesday, which will focus on a peace treaty.

How the Kuril Islands dispute arose, and the story behind Russian-Japanese peace efforts

The leaders will be later joined by other participants of the meeting during a working breakfast. After talks, Putin and Abe are expected to make statements for the media.

Putin and Abe will also discuss prospects of developing bilateral cooperation in political, trade and economic and humanitarian areas, and also exchange views on the most pressing issues on the international and regional agenda.

Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov earlier said that despite certain differences between Moscow and Tokyo, the two leaders wish to fully normalize relations and sign a peace treaty.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for talks expected to be dominated by a territorial issue over a disputed island chain that has long prevented the two countries from concluding a peace treaty to formally end World War II.

Abe's visit on Tuesday marks the 25th time he and Putin have met since 2013, a reflection of their efforts to increase cooperation despite the decades-old disagreement over the Kuril islands.

The Soviet army seized the four islands, between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, in the last days of World War II.

Tokyo's refusal to recognise Moscow's sovereignty over the islands - known as the Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan - has obstructed the path to peace for more than seven decades.

Despite a flurry of diplomacy since November, when the two leaders agreed to step up peace talks, recent statements from both capitals have dampened hopes of a breakthrough.

Moscow responded angrily to Abe's New Year's message, in which he said Russians living on the islands should be helped to accept that the "sovereignty of their homes will change".

'Not for debate'

Last week, following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Japan needed to stop referring to the islands as its "Northern Territories" in legislation.

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He also stressed that Moscow's sovereignty over the islands was not up for discussion, adding that this needed to be recognised by Tokyo in order to get the talks moving.

"Why is Japan the only country in the world that cannot accept the results of World War II in their entirety?" he asked, while describing Tokyo's military alliance with Washington as problematic.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov further cooled hopes for a quick breakthrough when he said the peace negotiations were "in their initial stage" and would likely be a "drawn out" process.

Abe's Moscow visit is the first leg of a trip to Europe, which will also include a speech at the Davos forum in Switzerland on Wednesday.

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Before his departure, he acknowledged that "negotiations with Russia have been a challenge for more than 70 years" and hoped for "candid talks" with Putin.

The two leaders have demonstrated a good personal relationship since Abe's historic first visit to Moscow in 2013.

Abe said in an interview published on Monday by Kommersant daily that he and Putin have fully agreed to resolve the dispute "with our own hands and not pass the problem on to future generations".

1950s talks

Peskov on Monday also said that Japan had not so far made any official proposals based on claiming just two of the islands in the chain. This possibility was mooted by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, prior to Tokyo's alliance with the United States.

Japan's Kyodo news agency, citing government sources, said Abe was leaning toward accepting this framework for a peace deal.

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But it is not clear whether the Kremlin would be keen to transfer sovereignty even for the two smaller and uninhabited islands, Shikotan and Habomai.

The chain ensures Russia's strategic control of the Sea of Okhotsk, and some southern islands in the chain are less than 10km from Japan's island of Hokkaido.

Giving away even uninhabited islands would be hugely symbolic and poorly received in Russia.

Several protests were held in recent weeks against ceding any territory to Japan, and Putin's sliding ratings would further suffer from such a move.

On Sunday, between 300 and 500 protesters gathered on Suvorovskaya Square, just outside Moscow city centre, for an authorised rally called by several nationalist politicians opposing to any move to cede any of the four islands.

Meanwhile, a poll by independent Russian pollster Levada Centre last month suggested that 74 percent of Russians would not support exchanging some of the islands for a peace deal, while only 17 percent said they would.</s>Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday over a group of Pacific islands claimed by both sides, amid low hope for a solution to the decades-old dispute.

Abe’s visit, which marks the 25th time he and Putin have met since 2013, is part of their efforts to build cooperation despite their disagreement over the islands, which are known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan.

The Kuril Islands lie less than 10 kilometers from Japan’s Hokkaido, consisting of Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan, and Habomai. Three are inhabited, while Habomai is a group of islets with only the presence of a border patrol.

The strategic islands were taken over by the Soviet army in the final days of World War II. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the four islands were incorporated into Russia but Japan continues to lay claims to the islands.

According to a joint declaration signed in 1956, the former Soviet Union agreed to return two of the islands provided that a bilateral peace treaty is signed, while Japan refused to sign such an agreement, insisting on the return of all four islands.

Despite a flurry of diplomacy since November last year, when the two leaders agreed to increase efforts to finally sign a treaty ending the territorial dispute over the islands, recent remarks from both sides suggest a compromise is still far away.

During a New Year’s address, Abe angered Moscow when he said Russians living on the islands should “accept and understand that the sovereignty of their homes will change.”

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Japan must recognize Russian sovereignty over the islands to get the talks moving.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday further cooled hopes for a quick resolution, saying the peace talks were “in their initial stage” and would likely be a “drawn-out” process.

Before his departure, Abe acknowledged that “negotiations with Russia have been a challenge for more than 70 years” and hoped there would be “candid talks” with the Russian leader.

But the two leaders have demonstrated a good personal relationship since Abe’s historic first trip to Moscow in 2013.

Abe said in an interview published Monday by the Russian daily Kommersant that he and Putin have fully agreed to resolve the conflict “with our own hands and not pass the problem on to future generations.”

This article has been adapted from its original source.</s>MOSCOW (BLOOMBERG) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ended their latest attempt to resolve a territorial dispute over four islands with a pledge to keep talking, even as the Kremlin damped expectations for a breakthrough.

While discussions were frank and informative, there is "painstaking work ahead" and any deal must be acceptable to both the Russian and Japanese people, Putin told reporters after the Kremlin talks with Abe on Tuesday.

"We discussed a peace agreement without hiding anything from each other," and the two countries' foreign ministers will continue talks next month in Munich, Abe said.

The 25th meeting between the two leaders since 2012 offered little visible evidence of progress over the islands, known as the South Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan.

"It's necessary to strengthen the atmosphere of mutual trust," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters after the talks. "The best way to do this is to develop trade and economic cooperation in all possible areas."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that "significant differences" remain, and that Japan must first recognise Russian sovereignty over the islands as part of the outcome of World War II before there can be progress on other issues.

The Soviet Union seized the windswept Pacific islands in 1945, expelling all 17,000 Japanese residents, and the territorial dispute has prevented the two sides from signing a peace treaty.

Putin said he and Abe reaffirmed their agreement in Singapore in November to accelerate efforts to resolve the dispute, based on a 1956 declaration under which the Soviet Union offered to return two islands after the conclusion of a peace treaty.

Abe said then that the issue "will be solved by Putin and me, and not left for the next generation."

Settling the dispute would enable Japan to improve ties with one of its largest energy suppliers and help it counterbalance the growing power of China, which Putin has courted.

Russia is seeking more Japanese investment and to reduce the impact of US and European Union sanctions over the Ukrainian conflict.

Police detained several demonstrators outside the Japanese embassy in Moscow before the talks began, including some who held up placards denouncing any concessions to Japan, according to the state-run Tass news service.

A nationalist deputy in the lower house of Russia's parliament submitted a bill Tuesday to declare Sept 2 "Japanese surrender day" to mark its capitulation in 1945, the RIA Novosti news service reported.

Abe, whose father also battled for a resolution of the dispute, has pushed to conclude a deal during his premiership, while Putin has been much more cautious.

"Negotiations are only at the initial stage," Peskov told reporters on Monday.

Abe is running out of time and nobody else in Japan will try to resolve the issue if he cannot succeed, while Putin is under no such pressure, former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Panov said Monday.

"It is clear now that there will be long, protracted negotiations on the peace treaty and who knows when we will be able to get to resolving the territorial dispute," said Panov, a former Russian ambassador to Japan.</s>Japan's prime minister traveled to Moscow Monday on an official visit to discuss with the Russian president the sovereignty dispute over the Kuril islands, an issue pending since the end of World War II.

Before boarding the plane for Moscow on a tour that will also take him to Switzerland to attend the Davos World Economic Forum, Shinzo Abe told reporters that the issue going back more than 70 years would not be an easy one to discuss with Vladimir Putin.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat down for talks Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin focusing on a decades-long territorial dispute between the two nations.

The Soviet Union took the four southernmost Kuril Islands during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.

Greeting Abe at the start of the talks, Putin noted that their conversation will follow up on recent meetings between the two nations' top officials.

"I'm very glad to see you here," Putin said with a smile. "It's very pleasant that our meetings have become quite regular."

Abe noted that he would like to talk about the peace treaty issue based on last week's talks between top diplomats of the two countries.

"I would like to have a through discussion on the peace treaty," Abe said through an interpreter.

The Japanese leader has held dozens of meetings with Putin in recent years in a bid to solve the dispute, and they agreed in November to accelerate negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return two of the islands to Japan.

Earlier this month, Abe voiced hope that this year will mark a breakthrough in talks and spoke about an imminent change of the islands' status — remarks that irked Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Japan last week that it must recognize all four islands as part of Russia as a starting point for talks — a tough demand that did not bode well for Abe's talks with Putin.

On Sunday, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov noted that recent statements from Tokyo made the talks between the two presidents even more difficult.

Speaking to the Interfax news agency before the talks, Abe emphasized that the signing of a peace treaty is needed to pave the way for closer cooperation between the two nations.

He added that he intends to maintain intensive talks with Putin in order to reach a "mutually acceptable solution."

Japanese media reports have indicated that Tokyo is open to a deal for the transfer of two smaller islands to Japan, fueling concerns in Russian nationalist circles.

Several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in Moscow to protest against the islands' return. One of the protesters held a placard reading: "We didn't vote for the sale of the islands."

Left-wing activist Sergei Udaltsov said Tuesday that 11 protesters were detained by police.

Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.</s>Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a summit Tuesday where they both affirmed their commitment to signing a peace treaty over their decades-long territorial dispute over the Russian-controlled Kuril Islands.

Russia and Japan have not been able to sign a peace treaty since Russia seized the islands at the end of World War II, so the countries remain technically at war.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Abe said that the Japanese and Russian foreign ministers would meet in February to continue negotiations over the dispute. Both sides are aiming to reach a deal by the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in June.

A deal that leads to a peace treaty between the two countries would end the last technically active conflict of that war.

At the end of the war, Soviet forces had seized the Kuril Islands, three main islands and a cluster of islets, expelling the thousands of Japanese living there and establishing their own military presence.

The sovereignty of the islands has been disputed ever since, souring relations between the two nations. Moscow has long argued that Japan renounced all claims when it signed its peace treaty with Allied forces. Tokyo, meanwhile, points to the fact that Russia never actually signed the treaty and argues that the islands were illegally captured and remain part of Japanese territory.

Previous proposals by Moscow have included handing over the islets nearest to Japan as well as offering joint control of economic activity over the islands, both of which have been rejected. One of Russia’s main reasons for not ceding any further territory is its use of the islands as a military base, which it likewise fears may be used in a similar way by hostile forces, including the United States, should Japan be in control.

The islands are also understood to have strong economic potential, with large reserves of oil, natural gas, and valuable minerals, as well as a strong fishing industry and growing levels of tourism.

Last week, the Japanese Foreign Ministry formally protested Russia’s detention of two Japanese boats that were caught fishing near the contested islands, describing the move as “unacceptable.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently indicated that the price of any peace treaty would be the “indisputable recognition of the entirety of results of World War II, including Russia’s sovereignty over all of the islands of the southern Kuril chain.”

“This is our base position and without steps in this direction it is very difficult to expect movement forward on other issues,” he continued. “Sovereignty over the islands is not up for discussion. This is Russian territory … Why is Japan the only country in the world that cannot accept the results of World War II in their entirety?”

Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.</s>“I will stress: hard work lies ahead to create conditions for reaching mutually acceptable solutions,” Putin said, speaking about the prospects for signing a peace treaty.

He said the discussion of the peace treaty prospects with Abe had taken much time earlier in the day. After talks with Abe Putin said the treaty's terms must be acceptable to both nations and should be supported by them.

Putin went on to say that Russia and Japan note positive tendencies in economic cooperation, but a qualitative shift has not yet occurred.

"If we talk in general, then Russia-Japan economic cooperation is moving positively, there are obvious achievements. However, in our common opinion with Mr. Shinzo Abe, there has not been a qualitative shift yet, and the potential of cooperation between the two countries is not fully used," Putin told reporters following talks with the Japanese prime minister.

READ MORE: 7 Things to Know About Kuril Islands Dispute Ahead of Putin-Abe Talks

He stressed further that Russia and Japan could increase trade turnover by 50 percent to $30 billion.

Commenting on the negotiations with the Japanese prime minister, the Russian leader said that they were held in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere.

Shinzo Abe said Tuesday after negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin that they had spoken openly about the peace treaty the two countries have yet to sign and welcomed the start of the negotiations on it.

"President Putin and I discussed peace treaty today, without hiding anything from each other, and spent a lot of time on that. President Putin and I welcome the fact that detailed discussions began last week between our foreign ministers," Abe said.

Later in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also voiced his insights on Russia-Japan relations saying that it was necessary to build mutual trust through the development of trade and economic cooperation, as it will allow to move forward on the issue of concluding a bilateral peace treaty.

"It is necessary to improve the atmosphere of mutual trust. The best way to do this is to develop trade and economic cooperation in every possible way and in all possible areas," Peskov told reporters following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Moscow that continued for three hours.

Peskov stressed that "this atmosphere will allow achieving progress on the main issue [the peace treaty]."

The spokesman added that new rounds of talks between Moscow and Tokyo will be held in the future.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat down for talks Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin focusing on a decades-long territorial dispute between the two nations.

The Soviet Union took the four southernmost Kuril Islands during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.

Speaking at the start of the talks, Abe said he would like to discuss the peace treaty issue based on last week's talks between top diplomats of the two countries.

Abe has held dozens of meetings with Putin in recent years in a bid to solve the dispute, and they agreed in November to accelerate negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return two of the islands to Japan.

Earlier this month, Abe voiced hope that this year will mark a breakthrough in talks and spoke about an imminent change of the islands' status — remarks that irked Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Japan last week that it must recognize all four islands as part of Russia as a starting point for talks — a tough demand that did not bode well for Abe's talks with Putin.

On Sunday, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov noted that recent statements from Tokyo made the talks between the two presidents even more difficult.

Japanese media reports have indicated that Tokyo is open to a deal for transfer of two smaller islands to Japan, fueling concerns in Russian nationalist circles.

Several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in Moscow to protest against the islands' return. One of the protesters held a placard reading: "We didn't vote for the sale of the islands."

Left-wing activist Sergei Udaltsov said Tuesday that 11 protesters were detained by police.</s>Russia and Japan have confirmed their interest in signing a peace treaty, hard work remains to be done, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“I will stress: hard work lies ahead to create conditions for reaching mutually acceptable solutions,” Putin said, speaking about the prospects for signing a peace treaty.

He said the discussion of the peace treaty prospects with Abe had taken much time earlier in the day. After talks with Abe Putin said the treaty’s terms must be acceptable to both nations and should be supported by them.

Putin went on to say that Russia and Japan note positive tendencies in economic cooperation, but a qualitative shift has not yet occurred.

“If we talk in general, then Russia-Japan economic cooperation is moving positively, there are obvious achievements. However, in our common opinion with Mr. Shinzo Abe, there has not been a qualitative shift yet, and the potential of cooperation between the two countries is not fully used,” Putin told reporters following talks with the Japanese prime minister.

He stressed further that Russia and Japan could increase trade turnover by 50 percent to $30 billion.

Commenting on the negotiations with the Japanese prime minister, the Russian leader said that they were held in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere.

The Japanese prime minister also commented on the talks saying that he and Putin reaffirmed their commitment to the conclusion of the peace treaty, which the two states have been unable to sign since the end of the World War II because of the dispute over the Kurils.

Shinzo Abe said Tuesday after negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin that they had spoken openly about the peace treaty the two countries have yet to sign and welcomed the start of the negotiations on it.

“President Putin and I discussed peace treaty today, without hiding anything from each other, and spent a lot of time on that. President Putin and I welcome the fact that detailed discussions began last week between our foreign ministers,” Abe said.

The Japanese prime minister added that he and Putin had instructed the foreign ministers to hold another meeting in February, possibly on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Later in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also voiced his insights on Russia-Japan relations saying that it was necessary to build mutual trust through the development of trade and economic cooperation, as it will allow to move forward on the issue of concluding a bilateral peace treaty.

“It is necessary to improve the atmosphere of mutual trust. The best way to do this is to develop trade and economic cooperation in every possible way and in all possible areas,” Peskov told reporters following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Moscow that continued for three hours.

Peskov stressed that “this atmosphere will allow achieving progress on the main issue [the peace treaty].”

The spokesman added that new rounds of talks between Moscow and Tokyo will be held in the future.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Moscow to discuss a peace treaty and the Kuril Islands dispute.