Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday rebuked Western journalists for calling it false news, denying a news agency report that he had been hospitalized for a heart condition.
The Associated Press, citing Indonesian officials, reported that Lavrov was hospitalized after a group of 20 people arrived on the island of Bali for the summit.AP said Lavrov, 72, was being treated for a heart condition.
“Of course this is the pinnacle of counterfeiting,” said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Zakharova posted a video of Lavrov, who has been President Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister since 2004, wearing shorts and a T-shirt in an open-air courtyard, reading documents.
Asked about the report, Lavrov said that for a decade Western journalists had incorrectly reported that the 70-year-old Putin was ill.
“This is not a new game in politics,” said Lavrov with a wry smile. “Western journalists need to be more honest – they need to write the facts.”
Arriving in Bali on Sunday night, Lavrov said Western media routinely take a partial view of events and ignore Russia’s perspective.
Bali Governor I Wayan Koster told Reuters that Lavrov briefly visited Sanglah Hospital in Bali for a “checkup”, but the minister is in good health.
“He was in good health and left immediately after the checkup,” the governor said.
The Associated Press did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its report.
Lavrov is Russia’s longest-serving foreign minister since the Soviet era, when Andrei Gromyko, nicknamed “Mr. Nyet” in the West for his stubborn approach, held office for 28 years.
source: Noticias
