France has denied claims of visa refusal to Russian journalists being reciprocal, as tensions rise after Russia did not renew accreditation for a Le Monde correspondent. France weighs its stance on the issue amidst concerns over diminishing press freedoms in Russia.

France dismissed on Friday Russia's claims that the refusal of visas to Russian journalists was a reciprocal measure, after the Kremlin said France's refusal to grant visas to two Russian journalists was discriminatory.

The Kremlin said on Friday that France's refusal to grant visas to two journalists of Russian news outlet Izvestia amounted to discrimination. State news agency RIA said the pair had been refused visas to visit France to report on commemorations this year of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

The French Foreign Ministry urged Russian authorities to reconsider their 'unjustified and arbitrary' decision to revoke the accreditation of Le Monde's Moscow correspondent.

Russia has revoked the accreditation of Benjamin Quénelle, Le Monde's correspondent in Moscow, due to France's refusal to issue a visa to a Russian journalist. This marks the absence of Le Monde's presence in Moscow since the 1950s,

Russia said on Thursday it had refused to renew the accreditation of Le Monde's correspondent due to France's refusal to issue a visa to a Russian reporter, leaving the renowned French daily absent from Moscow for the first time since the 1950s.