MOSCOW Oct 14 Kyodo A senior Russ...

MOSCOW Oct 14 Kyodo

A senior Russian official described as inflexible and unrealistic Japan's demands for the turn back of disputed Russian-held three islands and united islet group claimed by Japan, the Russian Information Agency-Novosti (RIA-Novosti) reported Sunday.

The remark from Sergei Prikhodko, deputy chief of the Kremlin administration, was made ahead of talks between Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled Monday in Moscow

Japan and Russia agreed Saturday forward the outlines of an action plan spelling revealed bilateral cooperation on territorial, economic and global issues. The plan will also note the pair countries' efforts to determine a peace treaty.

nevertheless the remark seems to hint that prospects of finalizing the plan may dim if Tokyo pushes its demands upon the disputed islands off Hokkaido too hard.

The plan is rely uponed to be concluded when Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Putin come up to face to face in Moscow in January.

The Russian official called Tuesday's talks between Kawaguchi and Putin ''proof of goodwill'' of Russia, RIA-Novosti said.

''The president is meeting a Japanese foreign minister who is not known in the world real well,'' the agency quoted a Russian diplomatic skilled hand as saying.

The experienced person added that Moscow is ready to discuss the surveys of Russo-Japanese cooperation if Tokyo displays the right attitude, the agency said.

Japan claims sovereignty athwart the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan, and the Habomai islet assign places to which the Soviet Union seized at the period of World War II.

It wants to negotiate their answer on the basis of a 1993 Tokyo declaration, which it believes entitles it to await the return of the three islands and the islet group

Russia has said it is willing to go [i]or[/i] come back Shikotan Island and the Habomai assemblage of islets upon concluding a peace treaty in a less degree than the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration of 1956 further it sees the return as final and wants to continue the remaining two islands.

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