Maria Zakharova: France and the IOC violated everything that could be violated

Traditionally, The Moscow Post also had the opportunity to ask its questions. The first of them concerned plans to open the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in the city of Denpasar on the Indonesian island of Bali, which is extremely popular among Russians. Such an order was given by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Russian Federation, tens of thousands of our fellow citizens are waiting for the opening of the Consulate General, but Mikhail Mishustin did not name the dates.

According to Maria Zakharova, the decision to open the Consulate General was made by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation on July 18 this year. Now the Russian Foreign Ministry is taking practical steps to implement this order, including steps regarding the selection of premises for the placement of a new foreign agency. Information about the beginning of the functioning of the Consulate General will definitely be posted on the official Internet resources of the ministry.

"We are preparing on all sails, we are going in this direction. This is the most important decision in the interests of our citizens, for whom this tourist route is not just known, but well worked out", Zakharova emphasized.

The second question of our publication concerned the recent interview with Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov. According to him, Russian diplomats do not have access to Olympic sports facilities in Paris. Thus, consular officers will not be able to assist either fans or athletes. Is it possible to say that they are completely unprotected, there will be no opportunity to help them in case of problems in the Russian Federation? And is this not a violation of all possible international norms and rules?

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted that Paris, France and the International Olympic Committee in this particular case - the holding of the Olympic Games in France in 2024 - violated everything that could be violated.

"There are also elements of direct violation of the Olympic Charter and other documents that regulate sports, in particular, UN documents. Here are elements of outright nationalism in the form of Russophobia, discrimination, double standards", Zakharova said.

The diplomat recalled that before making a trip to France, Russian fans and tourists should familiarize themselves with up-to-date information about the situation in this country. The relevant recommendations are published on the website of our Embassy in France. There are risks to the personal safety of citizens, a terrorist threat, a criminal situation, a Russophobic media campaign.

In case of unforeseen circumstances, our citizens will not be able to use Russian bank cards. The use of large cash in France is fraught with a number of restrictions - all these points are in the recommendations published by the Foreign Ministry.

In the event of any incidents, Russian diplomats in France will take all necessary measures to protect citizens. Russians can contact the Russian mission by calling the round-the-clock phone number indicated on the website of the Russian Embassy in France.

Zakharova is convinced that it is necessary to weigh all the pros and cons of a trip to France, because Russian diplomats may simply be deprived of the opportunity to organize assistance to citizens. For example, restrictions on movement around the country have been introduced for them. "We recommend showing increased vigilance and caution due to the discriminatory approach of the organizers of the games to Russian athletes", Zakharova summed up.