Relation between Russia and Japan still strained as the two countries failed to defuse tensions over a flaring territorial dispute.

Relation between Russia and Japan still strained as the two countries failed to defuse tensions over a flaring territorial dispute in a bruising meeting of their top diplomats.

The talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart Seiji Maehara over the Pacific Kuril islands dispute were marked by an icy atmosphere, as Moscow bluntly accusing Tokyo of unacceptable behavior in the standoff.

 "To be honest, I expected to receive you in Moscow against a better backdrop," a stern-looking Lavrov said as he opened the talks in Moscow.
"Your visit comes against the background of a series of completely unacceptable actions," he added.

In the last days, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan had called President Dmitry Medvedev's unprecedented visit to the Kuril islands in November an "unforgivable outrage" while a rifle bullet was mailed to the Russian embassy in Japan.
The two men later sat side-by-side in a frosty joint press conference, with Maehara stock-still as Lavrov repeated his anger over Japan's actions and warned that talks were not possible if Tokyo took a radical position.

"When radical positions are adopted in Japan..., and this happens sometimes, and they are shared by the leaders of the country, then of course any kind of dialogue has no chance," Lavrov said.

Maehara responded that the islands -- known in Japan as the Northern Territories -- are his country's historic territory.
"The Northern Territories are age-old Japanese territory," he said. "This can be said from the point of view of history, and from the point of view taken on the international level," he said.
Indicating no progress had been made to quell the flaring tensions, he added: "Our positions are still parallel."