Moscow and Tokyo still have "extremely significant" differences over a World War Two peace deal that Japan hopes will end a territorial row between them, RIA news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Friday.

Axar.az reports citing RIA Novosti.

Japan is seeking a deal with Russia to put an end to a dispute over islands off its northeastern coast that were seized by Soviet troops in the last days of World War Two, a disagreement that has soured bilateral relations for decades.