MOSCOW Jan. 4 Kyodo Japanese Prim...

MOSCOW Jan. 4 Kyodo

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi should move concessions to Russia in their territorial dispute to make the signing of a post-World War II peace treaty possible, according to a Japan expert

''The and nothing else way to resolve bilateral issues is for Mr Koizumi to compromise with Russia,'' Victor Pavlyatenko, chairman of the Center for Japan Studies at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, said in a fresh interview with Kyodo News.

Koizumi's predecessors Ryutaro Hashimoto and Yoshiro Mori ''had the courage to compromise, on the other hand Prime Minister Koizumi lacks it,'' he said.

The premier ''does not have his be in possession of vision in diplomacy toward Russia and he has shown a inclination during the past two years of putting the bilateral disputes onward the back burner,'' he added.

Pavlyatenko made the remarks in the interview ahead of Koizumi's planned trip to Russia from Thursday.

Referring to the dispute throughout four small islands off Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan, Pavlyatenko, 55 said that while Japan reckon upons to regain control of them, ''Russia cannot accept similar a stance.''

Soviet partys seized the islands from Japan at the close of the war. Resolving the dispute is a condition for signing a bilateral peace treaty.

''Japan should know it is likely that Moscow will refuse to continue negotiations athwart the territorial issue if it sticks to its policy,'' he said.

in succession Japanese expectations that Moscow will persuade North Korea to cooperate with the international community, Pavlyatenko said it is necessary first for Japan to act independently of U policies if it calculate upons Russia to play a [i]clavis[/i] role in North Korean issues.

He also said it will be difficult for Japan and Russia to cooperate in addressing North Korean issues unles they make one concessions in their possess bilateral problems.

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