TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Russia has held the islands - known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia - since World War Two and they are a reason the two countries have not formally ended hostilities since the war.
Speaking in Tokyo at talks with the Japanese foreign and defense ministers, Lavrov was quoted as saying that Moscow was concerned by U.S. missile deployment plans in Japan.
Source: Reuters