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Apple agrees to show Crimea as part of Russia on all its apps — Russian MP

The weather app used to list a number of Crimean cities as Ukraine's territory

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. US tech company Apple has satisfied the demands of Russian MPs to show Crimea as part of Russia on all its apps, head of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Committee on Security and Corruption Control Vasily Piskarev told reporters on Wednesday.

"They have brought [their services] in line with the Russian law. The error with displaying Crimean cities on the weather app has been eliminated," the MP confirmed.

He showed the photos that demonstrate that Sevastopol, Simferopol, Yalta and other cities are now shown as part of Russian territory. "Earlier, it said that this was Ukraine," the politician noted. "A corresponding reaction followed, the problem was resolved."

According to Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Leonid Levin, this decision by Apple shows the company’s intention to maintain its positions on the Russian market. "We can only welcome Apple’s decision to bring their map services in line with the requirements of the Russian law. With this step, the company has demonstrated its willingness to maintain and improve its positions on the Russian market," he claimed.

Levin added that the regulation of the issue had been achieved "through open dialogue between the parliament and the company’s representatives" without invoking administrative procedures.