TOKYO, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday expressed his confidence about making progress in solving the long-standing territorial dispute between Japan and Russia regarding the four Pacific islands.
"I have a strong feeling of confidence about finding a way to make progress in the negotiations," Abe said at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives.
Abe is expected to hold a meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. The summit is set to take place in Nagato, Yamaguchi prefecture, which is also Abe's hometown.
Abe visited Russia earlier this month and held talks with Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in the port city of Vladivostok. The two sides agreed to continue consultations over the issue.
Putin said in Vladivostok that Russia would like to find a solution with Japan on the territorial dispute, but will not "trade in territories".
Russia and Japan have not signed any peace treaty since WWII mainly due to their long-held dispute over the four Pacific islands which are called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
