Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe disembarks from a plane as he arrives to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia May 24, 2018. Alexander Ryumin/TASS/Host Photo Agency/Pool via REUTERS

ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that Russia and Japan should sign a peace treaty so that they can realize their economic cooperation ambitions.

Russia and Japan have not signed an official peace treaty after World War Two due to a dispute over a number of Pacific islands off the northeast coast of Japan.

Abe, speaking at an economic forum in Russia attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that the islands could become a symbol of cooperation between Tokyo and Moscow.