(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Andrei Plesu, RSF expressed its surprise about the barring of Serbian journalist Milan Petrovic from the meeting of South-East Europe Cooperation (CSSE) countries, in Bucharest. Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general, stated: “Our organisation requests an explanation on the reasons which may have motivated such a measure […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Andrei Plesu, RSF expressed its surprise about the barring of Serbian journalist Milan Petrovic from the meeting of South-East Europe Cooperation (CSSE) countries, in Bucharest. Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general, stated: “Our organisation requests an explanation on the reasons which may have motivated such a measure against a journalist who is duly accredited with your services.” RSF also asked that Petrovic be allowed to cover the meeting of CSSE member states without interference.
On 2 December 1999, Petrovic, a correspondent with the pro-governmental Serb daily “Politika”, was not allowed to attend the meeting of CSSE countries (comprising Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey), which is being held in Bucharest. According to the journalist, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press service announced to him that he “was not welcome at this conference because of the way in which he reported on the activities of the Romanian diplomatic service.” Petrovic, who has been “Politika”‘s permanent correspondent in Romania for over five years, is accredited with the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
