Russia was not allowed to participate in the UNESCO event dedicated to the World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.
From May 2 to 5, 2022, UNESCO and Uruguay will hold an annual conference in Punta del Este to celebrate World Press Freedom Day (May 3). The topic of this year is “Journalism under Digital Siege”. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993.
“The UNESCO secretariat, on behalf of the organizers of the forum, under a far-fetched pretext, rejected Russian applications for a special session on the impact of large IT companies on the work of the media, as well as on the speeches of experts in the framework of panel discussions,” the message says.
The ministry noted that Russia’s non-admission was motivated by “non-compliance” with the requirements of the conference and the list of speakers already formed. The Foreign Ministry of Russia believes that UNESCO “went on about” the countries that promote the policy of “canceling” Russia.
“By depriving Russian journalists and public figures of the opportunity to discuss issues relevant to the entire international community, the organizers undermine the credibility of the conference as a platform for an unbiased and professional dialogue,” the ministry concluded.
Ru-Main, 03.05.2022
Source: Vedomosti
