"Our goal is to use truly mutually beneficial business schemes, which would serve the interests of the companies of the two countries, encourage cooperation between the neighboring regions — Sakhalin Oblast and Hokkaido — and, of course, make a real contribution to strengthening of trust between the two countries," Morgulov said at the third round of talks devoted the joint activities on the disputed southern Kurils.
According to Morgulov, the talks may bring success if they are protected from the political conjuncture.
"I am confident that if we firmly adhere to the already achieved mutual understanding and arrangements… and carefully protect our negotiation process from the political conjuncture, we will be able to solve the remaining numerous difficult problems and achieve truly proper results," Morgulov added.
The Russian-Japanese relations have long been complicated — the two nations have never signed a permanent peace treaty after the end of the World War II. The deal was not reached because of a disagreement over a group of four islands claimed by both countries — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai, collectively referred to as the Southern Kurils by Russia.
Following the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Japan in December 2016 the relations between the two nations have been upbeat as Moscow and Tokyo agreed to develop joint projects on the islands.
