During his first meeting with Russia's outgoing and incoming presidents on Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will seek Moscow's support for a new global initiative to reduce greenhouse gases. The territorial dispute over four islands in the Pacific, a long-standing issue in relations between the two countries since World War Two, will only be briefly discussed. Japan, hosting this year's Group of Eight summit on its northern island of Hokkaido, has prioritized finding a more effective replacement for the expiring Kyoto Protocol on climate change in 2012. Fukuda's talks with president-elect Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin aim to establish a personal relationship of trust and prepare for the upcoming G8 summit. Tokyo is optimistic that the upcoming G8 summit will facilitate the creation of a climate change agreement that includes major polluters like the United States, China, and India, who have not agreed to the emissions limits outlined in the Kyoto Protocol. Russia, a member of the G8, has already committed to the Kyoto Protocol, and Japanese officials are hopeful that Moscow will also back a new agreement in Hokkaido. The disputed islands, referred to as the Southern Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, are located near the G8 summit venue in Hokkaido. Personal relationships between Russia and Japan have been strained since Soviet troops seized disputed islands at the end of World War Two. This issue has prevented the two countries from signing a treaty to officially end hostilities. Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda plans to urge Russian leaders to speed up negotiations to resolve the territorial dispute. A Japanese government official stated that Fukuda will stress the importance of both countries advancing negotiations in a practical manner to improve bilateral relations. While Russia has expressed willingness to discuss the issue, they have not shown any indication of being willing to relinquish control of the islands. A Kremlin official stated that their position remains unchanged and they do not anticipate any major developments in negotiations with Fukuda. Trade between Russia and Japan reached $20 billion in 2007, driven by companies like Toyota Motor Corp establishing factories in Russia. However, trade volume is still lower compared to Russia's trade with the European Union. Japan believes it is a suitable partner to assist Russia in developing its Far East region, which is rich in energy resources but sparsely populated. Japanese companies have invested in large oil and gas ventures on Russia's Sakhalin Island in the Pacific, and there is currently a pipeline being built to transport oil from eastern Siberia to the Pacific coast.