The Kremlin said on Saturday that journalists from “unfriendly countries” would not be allowed to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which President Vladimir Putin uses to showcase Russia’s economy to international investors.
The forum has been held in St Petersburg since 1997 and is seen by many officials as Russia’s counterpart to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Western journalists have never been banned from attending the forum in such a big way.
“It was already decided this time that media from unfriendly countries will not be allowed to enter the forum,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s Tass news agency.
“The interest in the forum is always great,” Peskov added. “All other journalists will work there.” “Unfriendly countries” is a term used by Moscow to describe countries that have been sanctioned over the war in Ukraine.