MOSCOW. March 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Japan's statements questioning the status of Southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands as the Russian territories, are unacceptable and inflict considerable damage to bilateral relations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
"It is absolutely obvious that such statements do not facilitate the joint constructive work of developing the Russian-Japanese cooperation and cause significant damage to the general positive atmosphere of the bilateral relations, confidence and good neighborliness, which are indispensable in resolving the existing complex bilateral issues, including the problem of a peace agreement," Nesterenko said.