TOKYO, March 31. /TASS/. Russia and Japan may jointly build geothermal power plants on the Kuril Islands, Japan’s largest newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, reported Friday.

According to the paper’s sources, during the March 18 Russian-Japanese consultations in Tokyo, Russia handed over to Japan a package of 26 proposals on joint projects in the area. Japan, in its turn, prepared a similar 30-point list.

The paper said that proposals to build geothermal power plants and a seafood processing plant on the islands were included in both lists.

In December 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on joint development economic initiatives on the islands. The two sides adopted a joint statement, which said that the beginning of consultations on joint economic activities on the South Kuril Islands would be an important step towards signing a peace treaty by the two neighbors.

On March 18, officials of the two governments met in Tokyo for the first round of Russian-Japanese consultations regarding joint economic activities on the South Kuril Islands. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba participated in the consultations.