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Diplomat says Moscow never discriminates Western media on its territory

A diplomat stresses any media activities in Russia can only be banned if the media are not accredited while their ideology and their reports are not taken into consideration

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Artyom Korotaev/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Artyom Korotaev/TASS

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VLADIVOSTOK, November 23. /TASS/. Moscow has always respected foreign media active in Russia and has never oppressed them, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a chat show on the "Rossiya 1" TV channel.

"We have never discriminated anyone. I think no one can accuse us of oppressing anyone. Even after the hideous front pages that we have recently seen across Europe and the US," she stated.

According to Zakahrova, any media activities in Russia can only be banned if the media are not accredited while their ideology and their reports are not taken into consideration.

"We place great importance on accreditation certificates rather than the quality of reports and the media’s tendencies. We are ready to cooperate with all journalists without assessing them from any point of view," Zakharova stressed.

The European Parliament’s resolution

The spokeswoman went on to say that the European Parliament’s resolution on combating other countries’ propaganda, is an ‘information crime’.

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Putin says European Parliament’s resolution on Russian media points to degrading democracy

"This is a crime since they distract the world community’s attention from the real threats of terrorism, extremism as well as ethnicism and xenophobia," she noted.

"This piece of paper testifies to an information crime, I think," Zakharova added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution aimed at combating other countries’ propaganda, including Russia.

The resolution mentions Russian TV channel RT, Sputnik agency, Russkiy Mir (or Russian World) Foundation and the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo).

In October, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a report on combating propaganda which named the Russian media one of the main threats.

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