Moscow Criticizes U.S. Report On Russia's Religious Freedoms

Moscow Criticizes U.S. Report on Russia’s Religious Freedoms

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/11/...scritics.shtml

Created: 18.11.2005 17:00 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 17:00 MSK

Moscow has expressed surprise over the annual report by the U.S. State Department, which included Russia in the group of countries where the rights of individual religions are being encroached upon, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Mikhail Kamynin, was quoted by Interfax as saying.

“The Russian Foreign Ministry is surprised about the persistent desire of the U.S. State Department to label us as a state where there are allegedly problems with ensuring religious freedoms,” Kamynin said.

He stressed that “our position on this matter is well known”.

“Let’s recall that we have on more than one occasion given explanations to our American colleagues at various levels regarding the biased criticism against the Russian Federation, voiced year after year in the State Department reports on religious freedoms,” the official said.

“With regard to the annual report by the State Department on observing religious freedoms in the world,” he pointed out, “unfortunately, it continues to adhere to a prejudicial politicized approach towards Russia.

”By the way, for the people of Russia, the real situation with freedoms in the country is more important than the erroneous assessments of the State Department experts,“ Kamynin said.

Earlier this week the U.S. Congress approved a resolution urging President Vladimir Putin’s administration to fully protect religious freedom, saying religious minorities in Russia were suffering from harassment and violence.