Russia is eager to deepen its economic ties with Japan to lay the groundwork for future generations in the two countries to find a mutually acceptable solution to a long-standing territorial dispute, a Russian minister said in a recent written interview.
Minister for the Development of the Far East Viktor Ishayev wrote in the interview that Moscow and Tokyo can remove the obstacles to a solution of the row over four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido "by expanding and deepening bilateral economic cooperation."
"Then, future generations can eventually find a way to settle (the territorial spat) that can be accepted by people of both countries under a new environment," Ishayev said.