Japanese PM plans to meet Russian president

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda plans to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin mid-May in hope of reviving talks concerning the sovereignty of four islands off Hokkaido invaded by Russia northernmost Japan. According to Japanese news agency (Kyodo), Noda is looking to meet the President-elect on the sidelines of this year's Group of Eight (G-8) summit. Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, speaking at a news conference, did not rule out the possibility of Noda having one-to-one talks with Putin in a mutually acceptable manner ahead of Russia's presidential election on Sunday. The territorial dispute dates back to the end of World War II, said government sources. The G-8 summit will be held at U.S. President Barack Obama's Camp David retreat in Maryland on May 18-19.