MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. The issue of the possibility of signing a peace treaty with Japan remains closed for Russia for the time being, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Friday.

"As for the topic of a peace treaty, it remains closed for us. Let me remind you that the Russian Foreign Ministry statement of March 21, 2022 made it clear that we do not intend to continue negotiations with Japan on the peace treaty, since it is impossible to discuss the signing of a core document on bilateral relations with a state that takes openly unfriendly positions and seeks to harm the interests of our country," the diplomat said.

Japanese authorities have returned the term "illegal occupation" regarding the southern part of the Russian Kuril Islands. For the first time since 2018, this term is mentioned in the text of the final statement of the participants in the annual "nationwide rally for the return of the northern territories," held in Tokyo on Tuesday with the participation of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and several other government officials and parliamentarians.

Since the middle of the last century, Moscow and Tokyo have been engaged in talks to reach a peace agreement following the Second World War. However, the sides have struggled to overcome disagreements over the rights to the southern part of the Kuril Islands. After the end of the war, the entire archipelago was incorporated into the Soviet Union, but Japan disputes the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and a group of small uninhabited islands. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that Moscow's sovereignty over these territories has been enshrined in international agreements and is beyond doubt.

In March 2022, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow was ceasing peace treaty negotiations with Tokyo due to Japan's imposition of unilateral restrictions on Russia in connection with the situation in Ukraine. Moscow also withdrew from the dialogue with Tokyo on establishing joint economic activities in the Southern Kurils and blocked the extension of Japan's status as a partner of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization for sectoral dialogue.