Russian-Japanese consultations on southern Kurils to be held August 17

MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. The Russian-Japanese consultations on the joint economic activity on the southern Kuril Islands will be held in Moscow on August 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported following Monday’s talks between the two countries’ Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Taro Kono on the sidelines of ASEAN events in Manila. "The two sides agreed to hold another round of consultations on the joint economic activity on the southern Kuril Islands on August 17 in Moscow and continue the Russian-Japanese dialogue on strategic stability at the level of deputy foreign ministers (August 18, Moscow)," the ministry said. Lavrov and Kono also exchanged views on "development of bilateral ties and pressing problems with an emphasis on security issues in Northeast Asia." The two countries adopted a joint statement after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Japan on December 15-16, 2016, and his meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. It noted that the beginning of consultations on the joint economic activity on the southern Kuril Islands could be an important step towards signing a peace treaty. The first Russian-Japanese consultations between the two countries’ deputy foreign ministers were held in Tokyo in March. Read more