VLADIVOSTOK, September 7./TASS/. The Kremlin believes it is premature to speak about possible timeframes for the signing of a peace treaty with Japan, but notes a general mood towards this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.
"There can be no timeframe here, it is a very complex, a very sensitive issue," he said in reply to the question whether the document can be signed before March 2018.
"Russia and Japan are well on their way towards boosting mutual trust, mutually advantageous cooperation, which certainly cannot but contribute to creating a favorable atmosphere to search for a solution on a peace treaty," the spokesman said. "That is why, there is no time limit here, but certainly there is general orientation towards this," Peskov said.
Earlier on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he is determined to sign a peace treaty between Russia and Japan jointly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The most important thing for Japanese-Russian relations is to sign a peace treaty. President Putin said this during his visit to Japan," Abe said. "This time, we are full of determination that we will sign the peace treaty."
The Japanese prime minister vowed that an active effort in this direction will continue.
Russia and Japan have been in talks to sign a peace treaty since the middle of last century. The main stumbling block to this is the issue of the ownership of the Southern Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II the Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan Islands and the Habomai Islands is challenged by Japan. In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ceasing the state of war, however no peace treaty has been signed until now.