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Ambassador surprised by anti-Russian campaign ahead of Interpol election

Russian candidate Alexander Prokopchuk was one of the contenders for the post of Interpol president, but he lost to South Korea's Kom Jong Yang
Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

LONDON, November 21. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko expressed bewilderment on Wednesday over anti-Russian campaign in UK media against the backdrop of the election for Interpol president.

"Impressed by anti-Russian campaign in UK media in connection with Interpol president elections. Why politicize elections in a technical organization?" the Russian ambassador asked.

The election took place at the 87th Interpol General Assembly in Dubai on Wednesday. Moscow hoped Russian candidate Alexander Prokopchuk would win, but Interpol Interim President Kim Jong Yang of South Korea was elected as the organization’s new president. Former Interpol President Meng Hongwei resigned in October after he had been arrested in China on suspicion of corruption.

"South Korea’s candidate won the election and we regret that our candidate lost," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Nevertheless, there is no reason to oppose the election’s outcome," he added. "Of course, we can say that the election took place in an atmosphere of unprecedented pressure and there was election meddling, too," he said.