Russia, Japan hold 1st round of consultations on Peace Treaty

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono on Monday held talks here to discuss the issue of concluding a peace treaty between the two countries, which have been de facto in a state of war for decades.

The talks, however, have not been a breakthrough, proving that the issue of the disputed Kuril Islands cannot be overlooked as the parties began their path toward concluding a peace treaty.

The fact that Japan and Russia have never signed a permanent peace treaty after the end of World War II has long been a stumbling block in Russia-Japan relations. The main issue standing in the way of a treaty is an agreement concerning a group of four islands that both countries claim — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and

The talks, however, have not been a breakthrough, proving that the issue of the disputed Kuril Islands cannot be overlooked as the parties began their path toward concluding a peace treaty

Habomai, collectively referred to as the Southern Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan.

The two counterparts noted at the meeting the huge potential of relations between Moscow and Tokyo.

"In recent months, the agreement on avoidance of double taxation has come into force, and the simplification of the visa regime for groups of Russian tourists has been implemented. In addition, bilateral economic ties are developing consistently... There is great potential in relations between Russia and Japan," Kono said.