Russian upper house lawmaker Alexey Pushkov has criticized the inclusion of the disputed Southern Kuril Islands, which Russia has sovereignty over but are also claimed by Tokyo, on a map of Japan on the website for the 2020 Summer Olympics, saying that Japan was crossing "the red line
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2019) Russian upper house lawmaker Alexey Pushkov has criticized the inclusion of the disputed Southern Kuril Islands, which Russia has sovereignty over but are also claimed by Tokyo, on a map of Japan on the website for the 2020 Summer Olympics, saying that Japan was crossing "the red line."
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Route Map on the event's website appears to include Russia's Sothern Kurils as part of the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido.
"The image of the Southern Kuril Islands as part of Japan on the official website of the 2020 Olympics is no longer a private initiative, but something more, it is going beyond 'the red line.' Tokyo should abandon such outbursts. The meaning of the Olympic Games is a celebration of sport and peace and not a reason for escalating hostility," Pushkov tweeted.
The relationship between Moscow and Tokyo has long been strained by the fact that the two countries never signed a peace treaty following the end of World War II. The deal was never reached due to a heated dispute over a group of Kuril islands � Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the Russian flag flying over the Kurils would not be taken down despite Japan's claims.
This is not the first time Tokyo has expressed its claims on such a platform. The official website of the G20 summit, which took place in late June, contained a video where the map of Japan also contained the Kuril Islands. The video, dubbed "G20: Inspiring cities of Japan - Osaka," was initially released on the YouTube account of the office of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in February.
