Were polite people: Lavrov says no punishing French press despite Macrons crackdown on RT France
Moscow is alarmed by the French governments attempts to “white-list” favorable media outlets and hamper public access to their competitors, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, during a visit to RT Frances HQ in Paris.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lavrovs joint press-conference with French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian was delayed for half an hour, due to the accredited Russian journalists from Channel One, Sputnik and RT being denied access to the French Foreign Ministry.
“The situation changed only when Lavrov warned that he wont take part in the press-conference if the Russian press isnt allowed at it,” a source in the Russian delegation told RIA Novosti.
After talks with Le Drian, the Russian FM visited RTs headquarters in the French capital. He checked out the state-of-the-art studios and workspaces, and had a small chat with the staff.
Lavrov was surprised to learn that RT France was barred not only from the Elysee Place, but the Foreign Ministry and other French government agencies as well. The crackdown on the Russian broadcaster began after President Emmanuel Macron came to power in May 2017.
He said that the persecution of RT, as well the Sputnik news agency in France was among the topics he discussed with the French foreign minister.
Read more
“I gave a firm promise to Le Drian when he again said that RT isnt a media outlet but a propaganda tool, that we arent going to retaliate against the French journalists who are accredited in Moscow,” Lavrov told the head of RT France, Xenia Fedorova, and Sputnik France editor-in-chief, Natalia Novikova.
“Were the polite people, right?” he added, laughing.
The top Russian diplomat said that he also asked Le Drian about the so-called “Anti-Fake News Law,” which was adopted in France this summer, but that the French FM “didnt comment on it.”
The law allows the French authorities to shut down any media outlet that they believe to be under foreign influence, four months before any election and under the pretext that it could influence the outcome of the vote.
The new legislation “is a part of the initiatives, coming from Paris, aimed at white-listing certain media and leaving others not as easily available” to the public,” Lavrov said.
RT Frances Fedorova also blasted the legislation, which can be easily applied against RT, as “a sort of censorship.”
“Were fighting this” through journalist unions and lawyers, she said. “Despite the pressure from the state and the way our work is covered by the mainstream media, we receive a very positive feedback from our viewers. Our audience is growing both on air and online.”
“Without RT, the French wont get the full picture of whats happening on the international arena,” Fedorova added.
RT France and Sputnik were invited to cover the World War I centenary commemorations, which took place in Paris on November 11 and saw Russias President, Vladimir Putin, participating. Shortly after that, the media cited an unnamed adviser to the French president, who said that Macron was now positive about issuing accreditations to RT France and Sputnik.
However, Fedorova said that the claims werent officially confirmed and neither RT nor Sputnik have been allowed to any briefings or other French official events ever since. Their admission to Tuesdays press-conference at the Foreign Ministry only became possible due to the active mediation of the Russian Embassy and at the insistence of Lavrov.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
[contf]
[contfnew]
RT
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
