Japan and Russia are exploring the idea of conducting cruises around the Moscow-held, Tokyo-claimed islands off Hokkaido as part of envisioned joint economic activities, a diplomatic source said Monday.The two countries will hold a vice foreign ministerial meeting Thursday in Moscow to discuss joint activities before their leaders meet in Vladivostok in early September.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in December 2016 to start joint economic activities on the islands. Japan hopes the activities pave the way for settling the decades-old territorial disput…READ FULL ARTICLE
