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Putin denies reports about recent meeting with Durov, says only met once 'long ago'

However, the Russian leader emphasized that he never refuses to meet with businessmen at various venues

VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he has only met Telegram founder Pavel Durov once, a meeting that took place "long ago" in Moscow when the businessmen shared his business plans with him.

"I once met with Mr. Durov in Moscow, it was long ago. He just shared his plans. I hold regular meetings with business leaders, and I had a meeting [with Durov] at the Kremlin long ago," Putin said at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

The Russian leader said he has not met with Durov since then, as he refuted allegations that he held a meeting with the businessman during his recent trip to Baku. "We have never stayed in touch with him, why should we meet in Baku? I didn’t even know he was there," Putin said, adding that he believed Durov was living in Moscow before learning that the businessman resides in Dubai.

However, Putin emphasized that he never refuses to meet with businessmen at various venues.

Durov was detained at Le Bourget airport on August 24. On August 28, his preliminary custody was over. The entrepreneur was delivered to a court, where the prosecutor charged Durov with six offenses, which include complicity in the administration of an online platform that enabled illegal transactions, committed within a criminal group. The offense, according to a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 500, 000 euros. By decision of an investigating judge, the entrepreneur went under judicial supervision with an obligation to post bail of 5 mln euros. He also has to appear twice a week at a police station and is forbidden to leave France.

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