Belarusian Independent Media Ignore Babich’s Press Conference

Five editorial offices have made a joint statement.

Today, on Monday, March 18, Russia’s Ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich is holding a press-conference at the press-center “Sputnik Belarus”. The conference is dedicated to the “fifth anniversary of the assession of the Crimea into the Russian Federation”. In connection with this, five editorial offices of the Belarusian non-governmental media came up with a joint position regarding the participation in the mentioned event, tut.by reports.

The statement of the editorial offices of the non-governmental media:

“Today, a press-conference of Russia’s Ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich, dedicated to the “fifth anniversary of the assession of the Crimea into the Russian Federation”, is taking place at the “Sputnik Belarus” press-center.

We, the editor’s offices of the Belarusian non-state media, having weighed all pros and cons of the presense of our journalists at the said event, took the decision to refrain from participating in it.

We underline that our decision is in no way connected with ignoring the Russian Ambassador, or the lack of interest to his position. We are ready to meet with Mr. Ambassador in the format of a press-conference or separate interviews on the theme connected with the Belarusian-Russian relationship, ask all the questions that we consider interesting, and convey his answers to our readers. Some of us have already applied for such interviews.

However, considering the announced theme of the press-conference in question, we don’t want out readers to take our presence there as support of one of the positions regarding the events that took place in the Crimea in 2014. Moreover, Russia’s position in this regard has been long widely known.”

Editor-in-Chief of TUT.BY Maryna Zolatava

Editor-in-Chief of the European Radio for Belarus Pavel Sviardlou

Editor-in-Chief of BelaPAN Iryna Laushyna

Editor-in-Chief of Nsha Niva Yahor Martsinovich

Editor-in-Chief of Narodnaya Volya Joseph Siaredzich