Kono, Lavrov make little progress in territorial talks

February 17, 2019

Munich--Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, made little progress during their talks on Saturday on a territorial dispute between the two countries.

The dispute cannot be resolved in a short period of time, but Japan is willing to make strenuous efforts together with Russia, Kono told reporters after his meeting with Lavrov in Munich.

"We had heated but candid discussions. We've been going forward, though not quickly," Kono said.

Separately speaking to reporters, Lavrov said there is no artificial deadline for the negotiations.

He reiterated Moscow's position that Russia has sovereignty over four northwestern Pacific islands at the center of the dispute. Japan should recognize the outcome of World War II, he said.

During their meeting, Kono and Lavrov agreed that they will meet again in Japan at an early date to continue the negotiations.

The trip to Japan by Lavrov will lay the groundwork for a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to take place on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, in June.

The four islands were seized by Soviet troops from Japan in the closing days of the war. The territorial dispute prevents Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a peace treaty to formally end their wartime hostilities.

Abe and Putin last November agreed to accelerate negotiations to settle the dispute and conclude the peace treaty on the basis of the 1956 Japan-Soviet joint declaration.

The declaration stipulates that two of the four islands--the Habomai group of islets and Shikotan--are handed over to Japan after Tokyo and Moscow conclude the peace treaty. Jiji Press