TOKYO, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday pledged to advance bilateral peace treaty talks with Russia at an annual rally seeking for the return of four disputed islands off the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
"I will step up joint work to find a solution that is acceptable to both sides and advance (peace treaty) negotiations steadily," Abe said at the rally.
Abe told the participants that bilateral talks have progressed over joint economic projects on the disputed islands, which are known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
He added that he hopes to realize them "without undermining the legal positions of Japan and Russia" over the territories.
According to local media reports, Abe is planning to visit Russia to attend a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the country's victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. He has also expressed hope to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin there.
Abe has been seeking to resolve the decades-old dispute with Russia and conclude negotiations for a postwar peace treaty. But the two nations have made little progress so far.
