The Russian General Prosecutor’s Office has designated Belgium’s Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies (Martens Centre) as an “undesirable organisation” in Russia, the agency said in a statement.
“It was identified that the events, which have been held by the centre since 2014 and disguised as educational activities, were focused solely on forming a negative image of Russia, explaining the necessity of military, political, and informational struggle with Russia, and tougher sanction pressure aimed at hampering Russia’s economic development,” the statement reads.
The office believes that the centre is trying to craft “a negative attitude towards Russian citizens and events in Russia that are completely different from reality”.
Martens Centre was created in 2007 in Brussels by former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens.
The organisation regularly holds events and conferences dedicated to European politics, economy, and the Ukraine war.
One of the key events held by the Martens Centre is the European Ideas Forum (EIF), which brings together EU leaders, European politicians, and various experts.
Moreover, the organisation owns several funds across Europe.
