The Japanese side is nurturing plans on cooperation in healthcare, fishing, tourism and the environment on the islands.
In February, Japanese media reported that the government had plans to offer remote-access medical help and advice to both residents and medical staff living in the south of the archipelago. In the tourism sector, Japan wants Russian and Japanese companies to organize sea cruises to the islands for Japanese tourists. Russia and Japan could also set up joint fish and shellfish processing plants as well as getting both sides' environmentalists to cooperate on various issues, according to the publication.
Moscow and Tokyo never signed a permanent peace treaty after the World War II due to a disagreement over the group of islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan the Northern Territories, encompassing Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai.
