A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Monday denied reports Russia was considering a travel ban to EU countries in the wake of terrorist attacks in France's capital Paris on Friday night.
The statement made by Maria Zakharova seemed to contradict earlier media reports in which the deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov was cited as hinting that travel restrictions were being considered.
“The ban would not be introduced by the Foreign Ministry but by the president. Right now it is not being considered. But the question is being worked on,” he was cited as saying Monday by the Interfax news agency.
Interfax later issued a correction, apologizing to its subscribers and saying in a separate report that the Foreign Ministry had denied travel limitations were in the works.
In a statement on her Facebook page, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied the reports on Monday afternoon.
?€?For several days reports of a supposed 'impending ban on Russian travel' has done the rounds. It's rehashed in different ways. Sensation is sought in all citations. I would like to repeat once more, the Foreign Ministry does not deal with this issue and no one is considering a ban on Russians' travel abroad,?€? Zakharova said.