Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dampened expectations of a breakthrough in a dispute with Japan over four islands off Hokkaido that's prevented the signing of a World War II peace accord, saying the two countries "still have significant differences."
The government in Tokyo must recognize Russian sovereignty over the islands as part of the outcome of the war, before progress can be made on a peace treaty, Lavrov told reporters Monday after talks in Moscow with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. "This is our basic position and without a step in this direction it is very difficult to count on any movement forward on other questions," he said.
It's "unacceptable" for Russia that the islands are described as the Northern Territories in Japan's laws and "we asked a number of questions about how our Japanese colleagues plan to move to overcome this particular problem," Lavrov said. Even so, Russia has "sufficient readiness and patience" to negotiate a settlement for a peace treaty, he said.