MOSCOW (Kyodo) Moscow has ruled out resolving the long-standing dispute with Japan over the sovereignty of islands off Hokkaido in the near term, a top official of the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
"Settlement is impossible for now," the official said, adding that enhancing bilateral relations through measures such as economic cooperation should come first.
The remarks were interpreted as suggesting the Russian government will shelve negotiations over the islands for the time being and instead encourage Japanese corporations to start businesses and invest in Russia.