MOSCOW (TASS): Russia was not allowed to participate in the UNESCO event timed to coincide with World Press Freedom Day. This is stated in the message of the Russian Foreign Ministry, distributed on Monday.
“Every year on May 3, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated, proclaimed in 1993 by the UN General Assembly. On this occasion, UNESCO, the specialized agency of the UN system for international information cooperation, traditionally holds thematic conferences. Unfortunately, Russia was not allowed to participate in this year’s event was,” the statement said.
The UNESCO Secretariat, on behalf of the organizers of the forum, “under a far-fetched pretext, rejected Russian applications for holding a special session on the impact of large IT companies on the work of the media, as well as for expert speeches in the panel discussions.”
As pointed out in the ministry, the reasoning of the refusal on non-compliance with the requirements of the conference and the already formed list of speakers “does not stand up to scrutiny.” “The proposals of the Russian side were sent on time and fully fit into the main theme of the event. It is obvious that the UNESCO Secretariat went on about a group of well-known, extremely biased countries that are promoting the policy of “cancelling” Russia in the international arena and aiming to clear the information field from points of view that are different from the ultra-liberal attitudes of the “collective West,” the diplomatic department added.
As noted in the report, “by depriving Russian journalists and public figures of the opportunity to discuss issues relevant to the entire international community, the organizers undermine confidence in the conference as a platform for an unbiased and professional dialogue, turning the once universal and authoritative forum into a local “cabal”. “Its results are not will have nothing to do with the concept of World Press Freedom Day and such important values ??as pluralism of opinions, comprehensive coverage, ensuring freedom of speech and access to information,” the foreign ministry stressed.
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