The deputy foreign ministers of Japan and Russia met Friday in Tokyo to resume talks for settling the long-standing territorial dispute over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.
Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama is representing Japan while the Russian delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov. Similar talks were held last August in Moscow.
Since the summit last April between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Vladimir Putin, Tokyo and Moscow have moved closer, with the two countries reinforcing common interests in areas such as energy and security. Several summits and talks between top officials have followed. Tokyo hopes to grab the momentum to break the territorial stalemate and conclude a peace treaty with Russia.