Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin agreed Tuesday to strengthen bilateral economic ties, including promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy, but made no significant progress on the territorial dispute that dates back to 1945.
While expressing the will to resolve the island row, Putin did not discuss any specific steps during a joint news conference at the prime minister's office.
"Russia is ready to initiate a dialogue with Japan," Putin said, but he refrained from commenting on the possibility of a partial return of the disputed islands.