Japan's Abe Seeks Visit To Russia In Spring For Talks On Peace Treaty - Reports

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to visit Russia again in spring 2019 as part of his efforts to solve the territorial dispute between the two states as well as to eventually sign a peace treaty with Russia, local media reported on Monday

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2019) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to visit Russia again in spring 2019 as part of his efforts to solve the territorial dispute between the two states as well as to eventually sign a peace treaty with Russia, local media reported on Monday.

Abe will discuss the possibility of this extra visit at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin slated for Tuesday in Moscow, according to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

On Sunday, Kyodo News Agency reported that Abe had been considering signing a peace treaty with Russia if Moscow hands over two islands in a disputed chain off Japan's northern tip.

The row over four Southern Kuril islands stopped the Soviet Union from signing the post-WWII deal with Japan, which sees them as its occupied northern territory.

Abe is now looking at the option of the transfer of just two islands - Habomai and Shikotan - to end the decades-long standoff. The news agency added that government officials regarded the handover of two other islands - Iturup and Kunashir - as "unrealistic.

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Earlier in January, Moscow and Tokyo held the first ministerial round of talks on the conclusion of a permanent peace treaty. Following the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the parties confirmed their willingness to work based on the 1956 declaration, "which means, first of all, the inalterability of the very first step � Japan's recognition of the World War II outcome in full, including Russia's sovereignty over all the islands of the South Kuril ridge."

In 1956, Moscow and Tokyo signed a Joint Declaration that provided for the restoration of bilateral relations after the war and stipulated that Japan and the Soviet Union would continue to make efforts toward signing a permanent peace treaty and settling the island dispute. The Soviet Union also pledged to consider handing over two out of four contested islands � Habomai and Shikotan � to Japan.