MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to discuss the disputed sovereignty of the four islands at the southern end of the Kuril chain during a scheduled Group of Eight (G8) summit later this week in Germany.

"We want to get rid of all thorns of the past, and look for a solution of that problem together with Japan," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying in an interview published on Monday.

Russia and Japan have failed so far to settle disputes over the sovereignty of the islands of Kunashiri, Etorofu and Shikotan, and the Habomai islets, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.

The four islands were occupied by Soviet troops after the end of World War II in 1945 and are currently under Russian control. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid a first visit by a Russian foreign minister to the Shikotan island on Sunday.

"We don't consider them (the islands) disputed, as that situation appeared as a result of World War II and is fixed in international law, in international documents, but we understand motives of our Japanese partners' behavior," Putin said ahead of the summit slated for June 6-8 at the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm.

The President stressed that Asia is one of the priorities of Russia's foreign policy and it will enhance energy, high technologies and military cooperation with Asian countries.

"We shall be developing comprehensive cooperation with Asia ... We expect very much that this cooperation will help us develop the Asian part of Russia." Putin said.