SOCHI, Russia, July 29 (UPI) -- Russia and Japan are far apart in resolving their Kuril Islands dispute but they agreed during the weekend to hold frequent high level talks to find a solution.

Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, who held talks with his Russian hosts in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, told a news conference although wide gaps remain between the two countries over the issue, the two sides intend to keep talking in an attempt to resolve their territorial feud, Kyodo News reported.


The dispute is over four islands in the Kuril chain held by Russia since the former Soviet Union took them after World War II. Japan has been demanding the return of the islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, Kyodo said. The territorial issue has prevented the two sides from concluding a formal postwar peace treaty.

"With regard to the issue of a peace agreement, in reality, positions of the two countries are still different," Kyodo reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters with Gemba. "But both sides agreed setting their territorial dispute is essential to boost economic and security cooperation."

The Japanese foreign minister also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit and the two agreed Japanese and Russian economic relations hold much potential, the news service said.

Gemba's Russia trip follows that of a visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Kinashiri, one of the four islands, early this month, which drew protest from the Japanese government, Kyodo said.

Lavrov was quoted as saying any protest would not help create an environment for constructive bilateral talks.

Putin, who wants the peace treaty concluded, was quoted as expressing hope of meeting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders' gathering in Vladivostok in September.