PARIS, Mar. 14, 2011 (Kyodo News International) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Japanese counterpart Takeaki Matsumoto in their meeting Monday that Russia is considering additional support to help Japan address rescue operations in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake last week and nuclear plant accidents, a Japanese official said.
In their talks held in Charles de Gaulle Airport in the suburbs of Paris ahead of a two-day meeting of the Group of Eight foreign ministers, Lavrov also expressed solidarity with the Japanese people to overcome the disaster, the official said.
Matsumoto thanked Lavrov for Russia's assistance, by telling him that Moscow's support will encourage the Japanese people, according to the official.
Lavrov told Matsumoto that his country will decide specifically what kind of additional support it will extend to Japan by taking into account Tokyo's request, the official added.
The Russian foreign minister also told Matsumoto that he has strong interest in the nuclear plant accidents in Fukushima Prefecture, the official said, adding Matsumoto explained that Japan is doing utmost to overcome the disaster.
Over a long-standing territorial row, the two foreign ministers agreed to continue negotiations, though their positions are different, the official said.
In the talks, Matsumoto reiterated Tokyo's position that the Northern Territories off Hokkaido are Japan's inherent territory, and Lavrov also mentioned Russia's stance on the matter.
Matsumoto also told Lavrov he will succeed his predecessor Seiji Maehara's policy stance of having broad exchanges in such fields as economy and culture, and the Russian foreign minister responded that he would become optimistic by the remarks, the Japanese official said.
Tokyo and Moscow have been at odds over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan as well as the Habomai islet group, which were seized by the Soviet Union following Japan's surrender in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945.
The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a postwar peace treaty. The islands are known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kurils.