Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday he will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during a five-day visit to Moscow from Dec. 17.

Motegi, who now heads talks with Russia over a protracted territorial dispute between both countries, said the talks would be aimed at rebooting negotiations towards resolving the decades-old row that has prevented both countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty.

The upcoming talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would be the "start of negotiations in earnest to resolve the territorial issue and sign the peace treaty based on the 1956 joint statement," Motegi told a press briefing.

Motegi also said that during his visit to Moscow talks would be held with Russia's Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin on the two countries' economic cooperation.

Tokyo and Moscow have been at odds over the sovereignty of four Russian-held islands located off Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.

The territorial spat has not only prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty but also hindered diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries.

Both parties have, however, provisionally agreed to furthering joint economic activities on the islands spanning defense, search and rescue operations, medical areas, industry promotion and energy development, in line with a previously proposed plan, which also covers aquaculture and tourism.

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