Japan must recognise all disputed islands as Russian: Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that Japan must recognise Russia's sovereignty over all of the disputed south Kuril islands in order for peace talks to continue. Moscow is willing to work toward a peace resolution provided "Japan's indisputable recognition of the entirety of results of World War II, including Russia's sovereignty over all of the islands of the southern Kuril chain," Lavrov says in a briefing following talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono. SOUNDBITE from Sergei Lavrov