As foreign ministers lay groundwork for Tokyo-Moscow territorial talks, what are the issues and obstacles?

Foreign Minister Taro Kono met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on Monday in a bid to lay the groundwork for a key diplomatic goal being pushed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — winning back at least some of the territory off Hokkaido seized by the Soviet Union in the closing days of World War II.

Kono's meeting was arranged to prepare for the upcoming summit between Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin, most likely to also be held in Moscow on Jan. 21.

The outcome of the territorial talks between the two leaders — an issue Abe is trying to settle once and for all — could even affect the political fortunes of the prime minister, who is set to face an Upper House election in July.