Taro Kono discusses territorial dispute with Russia's Sergey Lavrov at meeting in Rome

ROME –

The foreign ministers of Japan and Russia agreed Friday to cooperate closely toward progress in talks to settle a territorial row that has blocked the signing of a peace treaty to formally end the countries' World War II hostilities.

After their meeting in Rome, Taro Kono told reporters he had "in-depth" discussions with Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, on the path to concluding a bilateral peace treaty.