Japan and Russia Prepare Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Peace Treaty

Tokyo, Dec 23 (Prensa Latina) Japan and Russia are putting the finishing touches so that their foreign ministers meet next month to negotiate a peace treaty, local media reported.

According to the website of NHK, Taro Kono and Sergei Lavrov must meet in Moscow on January 14 to talk about a territorial dispute over four islands controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan.

Early this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on negotiating a peace treaty before Abe's visit to Russia early next year.

According to NHK, Abe expects to make progress on the talks with Putin to prepare the draft peace treaty, based on a joint declaratin signed more than 50 years ago.