Ukraine entry restrictions for Russian men "counterproductive" - human rights official
MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - The decision by the Ukrainian authorities to ban entry to adult male Russians up to the age of 60 will hit bilateral humanitarian, cultural and economic relations, head of the Presidential Council for Human Rights (CHR) Mikhail Fedotov told Interfax on Thursday.
"The decision of the Ukrainian authorities is, to put it mildly, counterproductive," he said.
"This decision will certainly hit ordinary Russians and Ukrainians, the Russian-Ukrainian ties in a variety of spheres - culture, business, contacts between people," Fedotov said.
"We are very closely tied to one another. Any hindering of our contacts is absolutely unbearable. Also, this decision is gender discrimination," the CHR chief said.
"There is a principle of reciprocity in international relations. But whatever happens, ordinary people will be affected. Russia should not respond with tit-for-tat measures: if your neighbor does something stupid, it does not mean you have to do the same," Fedotov said.