MOSCOW - Russia is ready to discuss a peace treaty with Japan but still rules out any Japanese claim to the southern Kuril Islands, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

During a phone conversation with his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba, Lavrov stressed that bilateral talks on the peace treaty should be held "in a quiet atmosphere, without preliminary conditions and one-sided historical links".

Lavrov also reiterated that Japan's claims to the Southern Kuril Islands are "unacceptable" to Russia.

The four disputed Pacific islands, which are called Northern Territories in Japan and Southern Kuril islands in Russia, are claimed by both countries.

Russia and Japan have long been at odds over the sovereignty of the islands. The dispute has blocked a peace treaty between the two countries since the end of World War II.