The Japanese government is determined to achieve a solution to the territorial issue and sign a peace treaty with Russia, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
"We will speed up talks based on the 1956 Joint Declaration, solve the territorial problem and sign a peace treaty," TASS cited Abe as saying.
He noted that Japan is moving towards this without any hesitation.
The main stumbling block to achieving this is the ownership issue over the Southern Kuril Islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan. After the end of World War II, the Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan Islands and the Habomai Islands has been challenged by Japan.
