28 April 2013 Last updated at 23:36 ET <\/p>\n
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in Russia for the two nations' first top-level talks in a decade. <\/p>\n
Discussions are set to focus on energy deals and a territorial row unresolved since the end of World War II. <\/p>\n
Ahead of the visit, Mr Abe said he wanted to build \"a trusted personal relationship\" with President Vladimir Putin. <\/p>\n
He also said he wanted to revive talks on a post-war peace deal - something so far prevented by the territorial row. <\/p>\n
\"I will work on boosting Japan-Russia relations so that this visit will mark a restart in stalled negotiations over a peace treaty,\" Mr Abe said ahead of his flight to Moscow. <\/p>\n
The dispute centres on four islands north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories. <\/p>\n
Russia has controlled the islands since Soviet troops seized them from Japan at the end of World War II. <\/p>\n
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has visited the islands twice in recent years, causing anger in Japan. <\/p>\n
In February, Japan scrambled fighters in response to what it said was an intrusion into its airspace by Russian fighters near the islands, as Mr Abe made a speech on the territorial row. <\/p>\n
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