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Inadmissible to restrict lawmakers’ contacts, impose personal sanctions - Putin

"Unfortunately, we can see that recently there have been a rise in attempts to restrict lawmakers’ direct contacts and communication," Russian President said

ST PETERSBURG, October 14. /TASS/. Attempts to limit direct contacts among lawmakers from different countries and to impose personal sanctions are inadmissible, harmful and silly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said opening the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, we can see that recently there have been a rise in attempts to restrict lawmakers’ direct contacts and communication," Putin said. "I mean practice of discriminatory restrictions and blacklists, with parliamentarians frequently placed on them. We consider this practice inadmissible, harmful and purely stupid.".

According to the president, the situation is counterproductive when the rights of entire delegations are infringed on. He mentioned with regret that it happens.

"In our view, this runs counter to principles of free cooperation between parliaments and each state’s sovereign right to express own point of view and to defend it openly and in a civilized manner," he underscored.

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