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Paris using Olympics as pretext to create obstacles for Moscow’s diplomats — Russian envoy

Alexey Meshkov did not rule out that the embassy would be forced to take certain steps to evacuate diplomatic staff from the city center of Paris

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. The French government is unnecessarily creating obstacles to impede the work and movement of Russian diplomats during the Paris Olympic Games, which the City of Light will host on July 26-August 11, Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov said.

"Not only have they fully barred our institutions, namely the embassy, from attending and participating in events related to the Olympic Games, but even despite numerous requests, they are unwilling to provide us with guarantees that we will get basic passes to move around downtown Paris, which will be locked down, while this is where all of our offices are," the envoy told Rossiya-24 television.

"The prosecutor’s office has told us that ‘since you’re diplomats, we cannot issue passes to you and you should contact the Interior Ministry.’ The Interior Ministry, in turn, has been ignoring all of our requests," the ambassador explained.

Meshkov did not rule out that the embassy would be forced to take certain steps to evacuate diplomatic staff from the city center of Paris. "We weren’t even added to the special website where the French Interior Ministry informs other embassies of its potential actions," he noted. "Our access to information has been cut off and the odds are high that our personal movements will be restricted," the envoy added.

Paris will host the Summer Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11. The opening ceremony is planned to take place on the River Seine, with national delegations sailing through the city center on boats. Russian athletes will not be allowed to take part in the Olympic Athletes' Parade.

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