Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Friday made his first visit since 2015 to one of the four Russia-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan, despite a request by Tokyo to cancel the trip.Japan protested the Russian premier's trip to Etorofu Island, called Iturup by Russia, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying the visit "conflicts with our country's stance on the territorial dispute."It is Medvedev's fourth visit to one of the disputed islands. Japan claims the Northern Territories, known as the Southern Kurils in Russia, were illegally seized by the Soviet U…READ FULL ARTICLE
