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Russia mulls response to Ukraine’s move to suspend media accreditation — MP Pushkov

Moscow is regarding this as an incident but if this becomes policy, it should take some response measures, the head of Russia’s lower house foreign affairs committee Alexey Pushkov says

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Moscow should consider retaliatory measures in response to Kiev’s decision to suspend the Russian media accreditation in Ukraine if this situation lasts for long, the head of Russia’s lower house foreign affairs committee said on Monday.

"I believe that there should be no unilateral discrimination of Russian journalists," Alexey Pushkov told a briefing. Speaking on what particular measures Moscow can take in response, he said this should be considered if Kiev continues insisting on this.

"Now we are regarding this as an incident. If this becomes policy, I believe that we should take some response measures," Pushkov said, adding that he was not ready to detail the measures.

The lawmaker said he planned to ask the committee of ministers of the Council of Europe this week whether the media accreditation suspension in Ukraine is in line with the European conventions.

"Of course, this does not comply with [European conventions] and that’s why this is a clear aggression upon the freedom of receiving information," the politician stressed.

Pushkov confirmed that the committee of ministers of the Council of Europe will have to answer this request.

"Another case is that there is a principle of a consensus decision at the committee of ministers. Of course, Ukraine will oppose any condemnation of its actions," he said. "But we need to constantly pay attention to this issue," he added.

Ukraine’s parliament on February 12 voted in favor of suspending the Russian media accreditation working at government bodies of Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service made a list of more than 100 Russian media.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on March 5 suspended the accreditation of the Russian media. However, Russian Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, Konstantin Dolgov said Russia would not restrict the work of the Ukrainian media that comply with the legislation.