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Lavrov seldom smokes but believes anti-smoking campaign in Russia is excessive

Russia’s chief diplomat likes to do sports and prefers football

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Alexander Scherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

© Alexander Scherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes that Russia’s current measures against smoking are excessive somewhat. At the same time he remarked that although he himself might light up a cigarette or two once in a while, he preferred to do sports.

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Asked in an interview to the website of the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily if he smoked inside the Foreign Ministry’s building, Lavrov said: "I cannot violate Russia’s laws. But I believe that the laws have gone too far. They are excessive even in contrast to what is being done in this respect in Europe and other countries at the same level of development."

"There are many other occasions to indulge in this habit, very harmful, no denying that, without creating any problems for non-smokers," Lavrov said. "I believe that our legislation should make allowances for that."

Lavrov said he smoked very little. "Today I haven’t had a cigarette yet," he said.

Russia’s chief diplomat likes to do sports and prefers football.

"I like sports games, including football. Rafting is a physically intense sport," he said. "I go to the gym regularly and I try to be on friendly terms with other sports."

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