VLADIVOSTOK (RUSSIA) - President Vladimir Putin suggested Wednesday Russia and Japan sign a peace deal "without any preconditions" by the end of the year, a historic proposal to try to solve a territorial dispute after decades of deadlock. "We have been trying to solve the territorial dispute for 70 years. Let's conclude a peace agreement, not now but by year's end without any preconditions," Putin said, with the audience breaking into applause. "It is not a joke," Putin added, suggesting the two countries commit to solving the territorial dispute in the text of the agreement. A former Russian deputy foreign minister, Georgy Kunadze, said he doubted that Putin wanted to solve the territorial problem in earnest.

Source: Bangkok Post September 12, 2018 09:00 UTC