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Russia Protests Japan's Move to Designate the Kuril Islands as Japanese in G20 Summit Docs

© Sputnik / Alexander Liskin / Go to the mediabankRocks off Shikotan Island, aka Spanberg or Sikotan, in the Kurils
Rocks off Shikotan Island, aka Spanberg or Sikotan, in the Kurils - Sputnik International
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Russia-Japan ties have long been strained as a peace treaty at the end of World War II was never signed because of Japanese claims to the Kuril islands.

The Kremlin voiced its indignation towards Japan after Tokyo indicated that the contentious Kuril Islands were Japanese territory in the documents prepared for the G20 summit.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated at a briefing that Moscow had filed a note of protest with the Japanese Embassy over Tokyo's move.

“In this connection, I can inform you that on 2 July, the Russian Foreign Ministry handed a diplomat of the Japanese embassy in Russia a protest note about the use of the G20 summit materials, including audiovisual, by the Japanese side, in which the South Kuril Islands are designated as Japan's territory", Zakharova said at a briefing.

Moscow's reaction comes in response to a video featured at the G20 summit's official website where Russia's Kuril islands were presented as a part of Japan. In the video, the Russian Kuril islands Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai are designated as Japanese territories.

The G20 summit took place in Japan's Osaka last week. The gathering resulted in the announcement of new joint economic projects on the islands, which may signal a thaw in relations between Russia and Japan.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Moscow was not planning to lower the Russian flag over the Kurils, despite Japan's territorial claims, stressing that the islands remain part of Russia.

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