The MFAIE response to the Russian official who claims that the Republic of Moldova does not respect human rights and press freedom – Ziarul de Gardă
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MAEIE) states on Tuesday, August 16, that the statements of the deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, Ivan Neceaev, dated August 11, which refer to the alleged degradation of press freedoms in The Republic of Moldova does not correspond to the objective assessments and in accordance with the European and international standards formulated by “prestigious press freedom monitoring organizations”, as well as international organizations to which the Republic of Moldova is a party.
“We reject the allegations made by the statements of the deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, Ivan Neceaev, which refer to the alleged degradation of press freedom in our country.
MAEIE reiterates that in the last year, we advanced in the Press Freedom Index and in the fight against propaganda. Reporters Without Borders ranked Moldova 40th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. This is intended to be 49 positions better than last year, as a result of the changes initiated by the government and to create the situation for journalists”, the statement issued by the MAEIE states.
According to the Ministry, granting freedom of the press in the Republic of Moldova is the primary responsibility of the Parliament, the Government, the Audiovisual Council for the presentation of the citizens “news and information in a fair, objective and honest way, without foreign interference and without being influenced by special interests”.
“The authorities will continue the sustained efforts to contribute to correct information and to build a civil society and a media independent of any interests, emphasizing that pluralism, independence and safety of journalists are basic components of the right to freedom of expression and information, being essential for democratic functioning in accordance with our aspirations to join the European Union”, the Ministry mentions.
Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Neceaev, a declare on Thursday, August 11, that “the degradation of press freedom in the Republic of Moldova is a serious problem“.
“Moldovan authorities put pressure on independent and opposition media resources. The information space is cleared of opinions and assessments unacceptable to the government,” said Neceaev.
Finally, the official from the Kremlin appealed to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to “review the policy of restricting the fundamental rights and freedoms of its own citizens and take the necessary measures to fully respect them”.