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Russia blasts France’s discriminatory remarks on COVID-19 vaccines - diplomat

Earlier on Sunday, Beaune voiced regret that Greece allowed passengers inoculated with vaccines produced in Russia and China to enter its soil

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. Moscow condemns Paris for the discriminatory remarks made by French Minister of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune on Russian and Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, Beaune voiced regret that Greece allowed passengers inoculated with vaccines produced in Russia and China to enter its soil.

"We condemn France for such discriminatory remarks of its high-ranking representative, which revive in Europe the spirit of neo-Nazi segregation," Zakharova wrote.

According to the diplomat, given that this is not the first such remark by the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, this is not Beaune’s personal opinion but the country’s political stance. Zakharova also emphasized that the French Foreign Affairs Ministry has no right to dictate to the countries which vaccines to use.

Such remarks also show that France "feels sorry as it has failed to develop its own vaccine." "The efforts by a French company, which tried so hard, but was unable [to do this] have failed. We feel sorry for France’s failure. Clement Beaune could have fairly said: France was unable to produce its own vaccine, we envy everyone has managed to do this, we were tasked with using propaganda methods to counter the success of those states, which have demonstrated to the world the achievements of their science," she stressed.

Zakharova also pointed out that Marie Paule Kieny, who heads France’s committee on the COVID-19 vaccine, considers Russia’s Sputnik V to be effective. "She is not a propagandist like Clement Beaune, she is a virologist - the research director at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research INSERM," the diplomat said.

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