MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/. Russia’s printed maps should be updated yet the draft bill which equates those of them violating the country’s integrity with extremist materials has many nuances and issues, says Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Earlier, the government gave positive feedback to the draft bill which equates the maps disputing Russia’s territorial integrity with extremist materials.
"In detail - no, we’re not familiar with it, undoubtedly, there are a lot of issues. Of course, it is clear that all the maps need to be changed but somewhere they don’t have enough time for this, somewhere they don’t have time to print the new ones, and so on. So there are certain nuances here but there is no doubt that all these nuances will be taken into account during <...> work [on reviewing the draft bill]," the Kremlin official said on Tuesday, replying to a question as to whether the Kremlin was familiar with the bill and supported it.
The draft bill introduces changes to Article 1 of the law on counteracting extremist activities. It is proposed that amendments should note that "cartographic and other documents and images contesting Russia’s territorial integrity" will be categorized as extremist materials.
As the authors of the initiative noted, lately, maps and other images are being actively disseminated where the territorial affiliation of Crimea, the Kuril Islands and other Russian territories is being disputed.
The Russian government supports the draft bill given it is adjusted taking into account certain concerns. In particular, the cabinet of ministers pointed out that the document does not contain any provisions noting those characteristics that would allow someone to conclusively consider the dissemination or the public display of such images and products as the contestation of the country’s territorial integrity.