Kurile Islands Scandal: Blown Out of Proportion
A. Yashlavskii, Mosk. Komsomoletz (in Russian) | November 3, 2010
The dispute over the Kurile Islands has been blown way out of proportion recently. ++ Russian diplomats are not too concerned about Tokyo’s recall of its ambassador from Moscow. ++ Much of the outcry over President Medvedev’s visit to the islands is due to domestic Japanese politics. ++ The ruling party is using the incident to shore up its patriotic credentials. ++ Moreover, economic ties are unlikely to be affected, since "Moscow as a market is far more interesting than the Kurile Islands.” ++ Japan and Gazprom are cooperating on projects in Russia's Far East.
