Japan and Russia have reached a basic agreement that Moscow will not grant fishing rights to other countries in waters around the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido claimed by Japan.
During working-level talks in Tokyo on Tuesday between Deputy Foreign Minister Toshiyuki Takano and his Russian counterpart, Aleksandr Losyukov, the two sides agreed to "seek a solution that is acceptable to both sides at an early date," a Foreign Ministry official said.
Although they did not reach a final agreement, the day's talks promised to pave the way for banning South Korean and other countries' fishing boats from catching saury in the disputed waters starting next year. The incident escalated into a major diplomatic row this summer.