MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Kremlin expects that the political will of Moscow and Tokyo will allow Russia and Japan to sign a peace treaty in the future, while the countries understand that there is no need to wait, and continue to develop cooperation, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
"The signing of the peace treaty is connected with territorial issues. The territorial problem, of course, is subject to some settlement in the understanding of the parties, so that it is acceptable to both Moscow and Tokyo, which in turn will open the way for the signing of a peace treaty," Peskov told reporters.
Moscow and Tokyo never signed a permanent peace treaty after the World War II due to Tokyo's claims to Russia's Southern Kurils, encompassing Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai.
"Both Moscow and Tokyo have recently been declaring their firm political will to find ways to achieve the signing, and we expect that this political will sooner or later will allow us to sign this important document," he said.
Peskov added that both Russia and Japan realize that there is no need to wait for the signing of a peace treaty, so the countries "conduct work to develop and improve bilateral relations."
