Russia says might take response measures after adoption of anti-propaganda law in Moldova
14:38 | 11.01.2018 Category: Political
Chisinau, 11 January /MOLDPRES/ - Russia reserves the right to take response measures, in the context of the adoption of the anti-propaganda law. The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Maria Zakharova, made statements to this effect today, MOLDPRES quotes the news agencies AGERPRES and TASS as saying.
Zakharova noted that “the law on direct discrimination of the Russia mass media has a consistent character and represents a new anti-Russian attack on behalf of the parliamentary majority at rule in Chisinau.” “Thus, Moscow, while reaffirming its commitment to the principle of reciprocity, accepted in the international relations, reserves the right to take response measures,” Maria Zakharova said.
The spokeswoman also said that “the way the Russo-phobic forces from the Moldovan parliament again imposed their will on the residents, by violating their fundamental rights to free access to information, shows that this country deviates from the democratic norms.”
Zakharova specified that this situation “needs a reaction not only on behalf of international specialized institutions, such as OSCE, but also of European institutions.” In this context, “Moscow would like to hear the opinion of the Brussels representatives, whether this law meets the European values,” Zakharova said.
Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu, in his capacity of acting president of Moldova, on 10 January promulgated the draft on amendment of the Audiovisual Code, after President Igor Dodon had repeatedly refused to sign this law.
Under the document, the Audiovisual Code will be completed also with an article ruling that the broadcasting in Moldova of TV and radio programmes with information, analytical, military and political content, which are produced in the European Union member states, USA, Canada, as well as in the states which ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, will be allowed. Russia has not ratified this convention.
The anti-propaganda law will be published in the 12 January issue of Moldova’s Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial) and will enter into force in a 30-day period upon the publication date.
(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor L. Alcaza)
