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Results of Kuril consultations to be used at meeting of foreign ministers

The two-plus-two negotiations, featuring Russian and Japanese ministers of foreign affairs and of defense, as well as a separate meeting between Kishida and Lavrov, are due in Tokyo on March 20

TOKYO, March 18. /TASS/. Results of the Russian-Japanese consultations on Saturday on economic activities on the South Kuril Islands will be used at the meeting of foreign ministers due March 20, Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday.

"On March 20, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is coming to Japan, and results of today’s consultations will be used during our negotiations," NHK quoted the minister. "Besides, I would like to connect them with the visit of Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe to Russia, which will take place soon."

Tokyo on Saturday hosted consultations on joint economic activities on the South Kuril Islands, which featured Deputy Foreign Ministers Takeo Akiba and Igor Morgulov. After the meeting, Akiba said the parties presented plans for work in medicine, tourism and fishing and also agreed to discuss former residents may visit the islands by using chartered flights.

The two-plus-two negotiations, featuring Russian and Japanese ministers of foreign affairs and of defense, as well as a separate meeting between Kishida and Lavrov, are due in Tokyo on March 20.

A joint statement was adopted following Putin’s visit to Japan on December 15-16, which said that the beginning of the consultations on joint Russian-Japanese economic activities on the southern Kuril Islands could be an important step towards signing of a peace treaty. Besides, the two parties proceed from the assumption that this statement on joint economic activities and any agreements reached on its basis and their implementation do not impair the Russian and Japanese stances on the peace treaty issue.

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