Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, have agreed to arrange his visit to Russia, Japanese media reported on Thursday
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2019) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, have agreed to arrange his visit to Russia, Japanese media reported on Thursday.
The two foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly on Wednesday to discuss the development of bilateral ties, including the signing of an official peace treaty that would formalize the results of the Second World War.
According to the Kyodo news agency, both sides agreed to arrange Motegi's visit to Russia.
The Japanese foreign minister also expressed his desire to further discuss joint economic activities on the disputed Southern Kuril Islands.
Russian-Japanese relations have long been complicated by the fact that the two nations have not signed a permanent peace treaty after World War II, as there are still contradictions over a group of four Kuril islands that Russia has sovereignty over, but are also claimed by Japan.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan in 2016, both sides agreed to discuss possibilities for joint economic activities on the Southern Kuril Islands, for which the Japanese Foreign Ministry created a special council. According to agreements that have been created since then, such activities must not violate the legal positions of either country.
