Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, says Japan will not conclude a peace treaty with Russia, unless the sovereignty of the disputed four islands has been made clear.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiroyuki Hosoda, also says Japan insists peace treaty talks with Russia be based on the 1993 Tokyo Declaration.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia will abide by territorial agreements with Japan, but the two countries have not reach consensus on how to interpret the agreements.

(CRI.com November 17, 2004)