Territorial dispute hinders Russian-Japanese rapprochement

Moscow and Tokyo remain at an impasse over the disputed South Kuril Islands after a visit by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev sparks a new war of words. Despite the rhetoric, objectively, both Russia and Japan are interested in closer relations. This applies to energy cooperation and ensuring security in North Eastern Asia, including the North Korean nuclear bomb problem.These are topics that Putin and Noda can discuss during the APEC summit.

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