The US State Department's allegations that Russia was violating religious freedoms are simply unprofessional, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2018) The US State Department's allegations that Russia was violating religious freedoms are simply unprofessional, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"We have noted the recent statements made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of Russia's inclusion in the so-called special list of countries that, according to the US International Religious Freedom Act, are 'responsible for severe violations of religious freedom' ... It is some kind of waterfall of unprofessional statements from senior US diplomats," Zakharova said at a briefing.
On Tuesday, Pompeo announced that in late November, the United States had put China, Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia, among other states, on the list of countries violating religious freedoms, while Russia had been put on "a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated 'severe violations of religious freedom.'"
The US secretary said the designations were made to press the governments of those countries to improve conditions for their people. He added that some of the countries had been working on developing respect for religious freedoms and commended these initiatives.
In late October, addressing the World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that politicizing such a sensitive sphere as religion had always brought about most serious consequences.
