title: Russia says progress made towards cooperation on disputed islands
text: MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday progress had been made on confidence-building measures related to a territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo. The measures focused on easing access for Japanese visitors to the disputed islands in the Pacific, known in Russia as the Kurile Islands and in Japan as the Northern Territories, and boosting economic cooperation in the islands. Lavrov was speaking after talks in Moscow with his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono. 