TOKYO, Feb 26: Russia's energy minister opened talks in Japan on Monday in the wake of a row over control of the massive Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project, officials said.

Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko arrived on Monday and went into talks with a group of officials, including Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

"They will discuss a broad round of issues and are likely to discuss cooperation in energy in particular," a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

Japan is almost entirely dependent on imports for its oil and gas needs and is set to be the main market for the giant Sakhalin-2 gas project in eastern Russia.

The Sakhalin consortium was run by British-Dutch group Shell in a consortium with Japan's Mitsui and Mitsubishi until December, when the companies ceded majority control to Russian monopoly Gazprom after months of pressure.

The Kremlin cited environmental concerns for the intervention but foreign investors widely saw it as a power grab. Japan has warned Russia that overall relations will be hit if it does not ultimately receive gas from the project.

The energy minister came to Japan one day before a visit by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.

The premier will hold talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in which they are also expected to discuss a territorial dispute over four Pacific islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories.

Japan maintains a claim to the islands off its northern coast, which Soviet troops seized days after Tokyo surrendered in World War II.—AFP