Japan vs. Russland

[Schneemann]

Japan foreign minister in Moscow amid islands row

The Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara has arrived in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

The visit comes amid high tension over the status of a disputed island chain. Japan is closely monitoring stepped-up activity by Russia's military near disputed islands.

Relations have been clouded by a long-running dispute over the four islands, called the Southern Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan. The former Soviet Union occupied the islands off northern Japan at the end of World War Two and the row has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty despite growing economic ties.

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Schneemann.