OREANDA-NEWS. The next meeting of the working group on joint economic activities in the southern Kuril Islands will be held on June 11. About this on Friday after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. "With regard to joint economic activities on the four islands, the parties agreed to hold a meeting of the working group on June 11", said Kono. The head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry also noted that the parties agreed to continue work aimed at a format for the implementation of joint projects in these territories that wouldn't violate the legal positions of both countries.

Moscow and Tokyo should agree on several areas of joint activity, which will later be conducted on the territory of the Kuril Islands, cooperation is being carried out in five areas: aquaculture, greenhouse farms, tourism, wind power and recycling. These steps are essential for securing peace in the Kuriles, experts believe that beneficial cooperation in these areas will bring benefits to both countries. However, as noted in Japan, Moscow and Tokyo still disagree on the implementation of joint projects. The Russian side insists on using its laws, while Japan proposes to introduce a new legal system for this territory.

Japanese authorities believe that regular meetings between the foreign ministers of Japan and Russia play a positive role in the issue of concluding a peace treaty between the two countries, Kono said. "Regular meetings between the foreign ministers of Japan and the Russian Federation are a major driving force on the path to a peace treaty", he said. Kono noted that during the meeting he was able to thoroughly discuss with Lavrov the issue of a peace treaty, including those points on which the parties disagree.