Leaders of the world's eight top industrialized nations have gathered at a resort on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido for talks likely to be dominated by rising food prices and the global economy.
"Despite the territorial issue not being on the summit agenda,... Japan expects the visit will give an impetus to the resolution of the territorial dispute between our countries," the high-ranking source said.
Dmitry Medvedev is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on the sidelines of the G8 summit on July 8. The two officials will discuss the conclusion of a bilateral peace treaty, the territorial dispute, economic cooperation and environmental border protection, primarily in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Commenting on the territorial issue and peace treaty with Japan ahead of the summit Medvedev played down attempts "to achieve maximum results over a short period of time, since they are impossible."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said last week Russian sovereignty over the South Kurils was unquestionable, but that Russia was ready for talks with Japan on territorial issues.
"The fundamental position of the Russian Federation is that the South Kuril Islands became part of our country as a result of WWII and Russia's sovereignty over them, which has a corresponding international legalization, is unquestionable," Nesterenko said.
The lower part of the chain of Pacific islands stretching from the Kamchatka Peninsula on the Russian mainland to the northeast coast of Japan's Hokkaido island was annexed by the Soviet Union after World War II and the dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace agreement.
