TOKYO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday maintained the country's stance that four islands central to a territorial dispute with Russia are an inherent part of Japan's territory, although expressed his intention to work towards resolving the issue with Russia.
Abe stated in a lower house committee meeting Monday that "There is no change" in Japan's stance of sovereignty over the disputed islands, with the remarks being made amid proposals that Tokyo work initially towards pushing for the return of two of the four islands from Moscow.
The comments made by Abe come ahead of a planned visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Japan in December, during which Abe hopes to make significant headway on the territorial row.
Read the full story at Xinhua