BACKGROUND Japan and Russia's territorial dispute

Tokyo (dpa) - Japan claims the Russian-administered Kuril Islands off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, calling them the Northern Territories.Soviet troops seized the island region in 1945 after Japan agreed to the terms of the Potsdam Declaration for its World War II surrender.A total of more than 17,000 Japanese residents were then forced to leave the Habomai islets, Shikotan and the larger islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu.The territorial dispute has prevented Japan and Russia from concluding a peace treaty and moving their relations forward.A 1956 joint declaration states Russia is to return Shikotan and Habomai when a peace treaty is concluded. But the two account for only 7 per cent of the region‘s land mass.Experts say the issue is hard to resolve because former islanders are ageing and most of the Japanese public lacks interest in the fate of the faraway islands.Former residents blame the stalled talks on Russia‘s rigidity and Japan‘s revolving-door leadership.