Putin, Abe agree on economic relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed in Tokyo on Friday to start negotiations on joint economic activities on the four disputed islands that have prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty.

During Putin's visit, Japan and Russia made no breakthrough in the dispute over the islands, known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan.

At a joint news conference with Abe on Friday, Putin dismissed the notion that he was only interested in getting economic benefits from Japan.