Tokyo. June 7. INTERFAX-The Japanese authorities will continue to negotiate with Russia on the conclusion of a peace treaty, Japanese Cabinet Secretary General Katsunobu Kato said.
"We believe that President Putin's statements once again demonstrate his intention to continue negotiations on a peace treaty, and we intend to continue to persist in negotiations based on our basic position - the settlement of the territorial dispute and the conclusion of a peace treaty," NHK quoted Katsunobu Kato as saying during a press conference.
Referring to the discussion of joint economic activities, he noted that Japan will continue to negotiate with the Russian Federation on the implementation of projects in a way "that would not contradict the legal position of both countries."
Putin said last Friday that Russia is ready to continue negotiations with Japan on the conclusion of a post-war peace treaty.
"Both Russia and Japan share a strategic interest in concluding a peace treaty, "Putin said in response to a question from Japan's Kyodo news agency during an online press conference with the leaders of the world's largest news agencies.
"We are ready to continue negotiations," the Russian president said.
Kyodo draws attention to the fact that this statement of the Russian leader was made against the background of suggestions that the amendment to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which prohibits the transfer of Russian territory to any foreign power, will not allow Moscow to participate in negotiations on the settlement of the territorial dispute with Tokyo.
During telephone conversations shortly after taking office last September, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told Putin that he was seeking to resolve the territorial dispute.
After the conversation, Suga told reporters that he told Putin about the desire to develop Japanese-Russian relations, and that the solution to the territorial dispute "should not be left to subsequent generations."