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Zakharova wants OSCE mass media envoy to analyze recent European Parliament’s resolution

The document is "unprecedented" and needs further analysis, the Russian diplomat believes
European Parliament in Strasbourg AP Photo/Christian Lutz
European Parliament in Strasbourg
© AP Photo/Christian Lutz

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called on OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic to thoroughly analyze the European Parliament’s resolution against anti-EU propaganda by third countries as her reaction to the document lacked specifics.

Zakharova channeled a letter to Mijatovic, the text of which was posted on the Russian foreign ministry’s Facebook account on Friday.

"I have read your first reaction to the European Parliament’s resolution on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties of November 23," Zakharova wrote. "I think it lacks specifics as concerns professional assessment of this document which is unprecedented in terms of possible persecution measures against Russian mass media in the European Union countries."

"Russian mass media are literally equated to media structures of the terrorist organization Islamic State [outlawed in Russia - TASS] and other terrorist structures recognized as such by the United Nations," the spokeswoman noted.

The Russian diplomat admitted that the European Parliament’s activities are outside Mijatovic’s competences but she stressed that the document it passed undermines the basics of democratic relations in the sphere of the mass media and hence requires an adequate assessment by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"Taking into account the current level of our cooperation, I strongly ask you to be unbiased in analyzing the resolution and possible implementation impacts on the future of Europe as a space of democracy and supremacy of law and give it a public assessment. Silence in this case would mean connivance to the worst, i.e. to official recognition of the expediency of persecution of the mass media," the spokeswoman stressed.