Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin in southwest Japan have wrapped up a summit aimed at making progress on a peace treaty to formally end World War II. 

Putin said he sees the lack of a peace treaty as an “anachronism” and wants to resolve the issue, while acknowledging that progress has been “difficult.”

Abe said they had a “frank” exchange of views, although there was no major progress.

The two discussed ways to cooperate economically in the disputed area in the Western Pacific.

The four islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II.