MOSCOW: Russia summoned the French ambassador to Moscow on Friday following “unacceptable” comments by Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Sejourne said on Monday that France had no interest in talking to the Kremlin, a few days after a telephone conversation between Russian and French ministers ended in divergent accounts.

French ambassador Pierre Levy “was informed about the unacceptable character of such statements, which have nothing to do with reality”, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, denouncing a “deliberate act” that “aimed to undermine the possibility of any dialogue between the two countries”. A French diplomatic source said on Friday: “The Russian ministry, as usual, does not accept that we correct its lies.

“The minister recalled the reality of the exchanges and the Russian authorities’ attempt at manipulation following the call from the armed forces minister.”

It is the latest in a series of spats between the two countries.

After a conversation between the two countries’ defence ministers on April 3, Russia said it “hoped” that the French secret services were not involved in the Moscow concert hall attack claimed by the militant Islamic State group, which killed 144 people on March 22.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2024