MOSCOW: Russia has summoned the French ambassador to protest against the decision of French officials for not allowing Russian reporters to attend a press conference of President Emmanuel Macron at the G20 summit, Western media reported on Monday.
Moscow said that the French organizers of the press conference in New Delhi stopped reporters from the official RIA Novosti and Russia-News from entering the press room and even tried to confiscate their phones.
French authorities asked to stop pursuing discriminatory behavior
Moscow’s Foreign Ministry in a statement said the French authorities were asked to stop pursuing discriminatory behavior against media outlets and treat Russian media in the same way as French journalists are treated in Russia.
Western media quoting sources reported that contrary to Russian claims nobody took the phones and about thirty journalists of different nationalities were not allowed to attend the press conference due to lack of space in the room.
Russia has long accused France of discriminating against its journalists, including after the Elysee Palace refused to approve accreditation to Russia Today.
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Macron during a 2017 visit by President Vladimir Putin to France, said the Russia Today and state-owned Sputnik news outlets were publishing false stories during the French Presidential election campaign.
He said Russia Today and Sputnik did not behave like professional media outlets and did misleading propaganda.
