Japan's new foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov agreed on Wednesday to develop bilateral ties by advancing negotiations on a peace treaty to formally end World War II hostilities, a Japanese official said."I'm eager to talk with you on issues including promoting our joint economic activities" on disputed islands off Hokkaido, Motegi, who assumed his post in a Cabinet reshuffle on Sept. 11, was quoted as telling Lavrov during their meeting in New York.The dispute over the four islands, which the Soviet Union seized at the end of the war, has long pr…READ FULL ARTICLE
