Japanese prime minister pledges to pursue peace with Russia

In his New Year message the Japanese Prime Minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto, alsosaid he would pursue the goal of signing a peace treaty with Russia by the year two thousand.

Since the end of World War Two, Japan and Russia have failed to resolve their differences over territorial claims to four islands in the Pacific occupied by former Soviet troops.

Situated north of Hokkaido, Russia calls the islands the southern Kuriles; in Japan they are known as the Northern Territories.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service