ISLAMABAD: The “misunderstanding” between Pakistan and Russia has “amicably” been addressed, which arose out of the alleged prevention of a Russian journalist to cover the joint news conference by visiting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba along with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Pakistan on Thursday.

“The refusal to allow a TASS correspondent to a briefing with the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytry Kuleba in Islamabad became a “clumsy trick” of the Ukrainian side. He [Kuleba] feared to answer the questions by the only Russian journalist registered for the event,” said Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement to the Russian news agency.

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“The refusal to accredit the TASS correspondent can only be regarded as the next “clumsy trick” of the Ukrainian side, which is no longer surprising. As well as the unprofessional behaviour of the Kiev authorities, which do not put journalistic ethics in anything. It seems that Dmytry Kuleba was simply chocked to answer questions of the only Russian journalist registered for the event. There is nothing to say in the case of the Ukrainian guest,” she added. She said that Russia is conducting a “cordial professional dialogue” with its Pakistani partners. “Attempts by the Kyiv regime to prevent it with their circus performances are doomed to failure. It will not succeed in driving a wedge between Moscow and Islamabad,” Zakharova further stated. Earlier on Thursday last, a Russian journalist, Ruslan Bekniyazov, who regularly covers the Foreign Office briefings in Islamabad, was allegedly denied coverage of the joint stakeout by visiting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba along with Foreign Minister Bilawal at the MoFA of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023