Meeting between Putin, Abe in Vladivostok not to resolve issue of Kuril Islands, lengthy expert effort needed for that - Peskov
MOSCOW. Sept 2 (Interfax) - The negotiations of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which are being held in Vladivostok on Friday, will not resolve the issue of the Kuril Islands, because this matter requires long-term expert efforts, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"It is unnecessary to expect that the territorial issue may make progress during today's meeting [of Putin and Abe]," Peskov said.
"It is a complex issue, which requires more lengthy expert efforts," he said.
He recalled that two rounds of negotiations through the foreign ministries have already been held in Tokyo and Moscow. "This work will continue," he added.
The fact itself of the Japanese prime minister attending the Eastern Economic Forum "shows that the Japanese colleagues are interested in development of trade and economic cooperation, presence in the Russian Far East region, and that they believe in the economic potential of the region," Peskov said.
To a question regarding what kind of solution to the territorial issue may be discussed, Peskov replied: "The issue is very complex, surely, each side has its interests, but the issue solution itself implies a certain compromise."
"In his interview with Bloomberg the Russian president said precisely that he expects such a compromise and considers it possible," he said.
