MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. Japan’s desire to politicize the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is deeply regrettable, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Friday.
"Tokyo’s desire to politicize such an important international sports event as the Olympic Games and Japan’s apparent abuse of the role of the host country of the Games meant to promote the unity of the people is deeply regrettable," she said, commenting on the southern Kuril Islands depicted as Japanese territory on a map posted on the website of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Zakharova noted that "no Japanese actions of this kind can change reality and cast doubt on Russia’s sovereignty over the southern Kuril Islands, which belong to our country legally following World War II."
According to the diplomat, Moscow has repeatedly drawn Tokyo’s attention to the fact that using materials, in which the southern part of the Kuril Islands is depicted as Japan’s territory, is inadmissible. "In particular, on July 2, the Russian Foreign Ministry lodged a protest with the Japanese Embassy in Moscow in connection with partners’ similar behavior during the G20 summit," she recalled.
The map of Japan illustrating the Olympic torch relay route posted on the official website for the 2020 Summer Olympics depicts the southern part of the Russia’s Kuril Islands as Japanese territory. The map shows the islands making up the Hokkaido prefecture, where the torch will be brought on June 14-15, 2020. Moreover, the map also depicts the Liancourt Rocks, which are disputed by Tokyo and Seoul, as part of Japan. South Korea has already lodged a protest to this effect.
Russia and Japan have been in talks to sign a peace treaty since the mid-20th century. The main stumbling block to achieving this is the status of the southern Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II, the Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the status of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan Islands and the Habomai Islands is being challenged by Japan. The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated on numerous occasions that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands is beyond any doubt. In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ending the state of war, but no peace treaty has been signed to date.
During the Russian-Japanese summit held in Osaka, Japan, in late June, the two sides agreed to push ahead with efforts to hammer out an agreement.