MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2020) Moscow believes that discrimination of Sputnik new agency and RT broadcaster in Europe is unacceptable, and the claims that these are instruments of propaganda are just absurd, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Sputnik in an interview.
"Of course, we have discussed this [with French colleagues]. We believe it is unacceptable that Sputnik, RT and their correspondents are overtly discriminated in France, and Sputnik is also discriminated in the Baltic countries, which is a known fact. The fact that neither RT nor Sputnik have been accredited by the Elysee Palace since 2017 is regrettable," Lavrov said.
"But it is even more surprising that our French colleagues say, despite their commitment to liberty, equality and fraternity, that they will not change their decision and will not provide accreditation, since RT and Sputnik are � I will now cite a quote � 'not media outlets but propaganda tools'. I think there is no need to comment on these absurd and awkward 'labels,' as RT and Sputnik become hugely popular across the world, they gain audience," Lavrov added.
Moscow keeps calling on France to stop discriminating media outlets that are registered in Russia, the foreign minister noted.
