The First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) Oleksandr Kornienko said that journalists will return to the meeting of the Verkhovna Rada once the appropriate security conditions are in place.
He told about this in a blitz interview with the "Babel" YouTube project "TA.ZA.SHO".
According to him, this will happen when "the relevant authorities tell us about it."
"I have been to many places in Europe. There are not always journalists who work together with deputies in parliaments, things are different. It is more about our political culture. We had an open parliament, with the possibility of filming and broadcasting. We must respect freedom of speech and do everything to ensure that journalists can work within the framework of the parliament," Kornienko noted.
He added that a number of issues still need to be resolved. In particular regarding the re-accreditation of mass media representatives.
"I think it will be unpleasant for you to work next to the former employees of the [Anatoliy] Sharii publication, which is now called something like "Supernovoye Izdaniye", the first vice-speaker remarked.
Oleksandr Kornienko also emphasized that information about the progress and results of the work of the parliament is not hidden. All meetings are posted on "YouTube" a few hours after they take place.
"Regarding the time and place of the meeting, this information is not disclosed for security reasons. As for speeches, positions, who said what and what jokes were even heard — all this can be heard and seen. There are also voting results on the Verkhovna Radaʼs website," he said.
- Since February 24, journalists have not been allowed into the parliament, even the TV channel "Rada" does not broadcast the meetings.