OSAKA, Japan (AP) — The Latest on the Group of 20 summit meetings in Osaka, Japan (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin...
MOSCOW (AP) — The leaders of Russia and Japan acknowledged Tuesday that settling a decades-long territorial dispute poses a daunting challenge but vowed to continue negotiations.
The Soviet Union took the four southernmost Kuril Islands during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's top diplomat threw cold water Monday on Tokyo's hopes for a quick return of four Pacific islands at the center of territorial dispute, warning Japan it must recognize the islands as part of Russia as a starting point for talks.
The stern statement from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which followed the talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, appeared to reflect Moscow's efforts to temper Japanese expectations of an imminent deal on the Kuril Islands dispute.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Foreign Ministry says it has summoned the Japanese ambassador over recent statements from Tokyo about disputed Pacific islands.
The Soviet Union took the four southernmost Kuril Islands during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories.
The decades-long dispute has kept Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has signaled readiness to discuss a Soviet-era proposal on settling a decades-old territorial dispute.
Putin said that during their meeting Wednesday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Singapore, Abe said that Tokyo could resume discussions on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return two of four disputed Pacific islands to Japan.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian and Japanese officials are expressing hope that business ties between the two countries will help solve a long-standing dispute over four Pacific islands.
The argument centers on the four most southern of the Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories. The Soviet Union took the islands at the end of World War II and the countries never signed a peace treaty as a result.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met in Moscow on Saturday for talks that included resolving a dispute over four Pacific islands and eventually signing a peace treaty.
Abe has been pushing for a way forward in the dispute that centers on the four most southern of the Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories.
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe headed to Russia on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin in hopes of making progress on joint economic projects on disputed islands as a step toward resolving a decades-old territorial row.
Abe said he hoped to talk "heart-to-heart" with Putin on Saturday to achieve progress on the island issue and eventually sign a peace treaty. Abe also plans to reaffirm Russia's cooperation in efforts to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday discussed joint economic projects on disputed islands which could pave the way for the countries to finally sign a peace treaty ending World War II.
TOKYO (AP) — The Latest on Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan (all times local):
7 p.m.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the Kodokan Judo Institute, a judoists' mecca in downtown Tokyo, as he wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan.
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be the first G-7 leader to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin for an official visit since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Why? Territory.
Despite continued sanctions on Russia, Abe is eager to make progress on a 70-year-old territorial dispute that has kept their countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin tried a bit of dog diplomacy ahead of his trip to Japan, and then gave a glimmer of hope that a 70-year territorial dispute with Tokyo could be resolved.
Japanese journalists met with Putin at the Kremlin, days before Putin heads to Tokyo. The interview began with the Russian leader showing off the Akita given to him by Japan in 2012.
MOSCOW (AP) — Japan's foreign minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday and gave him a personal message from the Japanese prime minister ahead of Putin's upcoming visit to Tokyo.
A disagreement over the southern Kuril islands — which Japan calls the Northern Territories — has kept the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their World War II hostilities.