 The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the French ambassador to explain the words of French President Emmanuel Macron on "Ukrainian gangs", the ministry's spokeswoman said.
In the interview with the magazine Valeurs Actuelles, Macron explained that he favored "quota-based migration" to an influx of illegal workers. He then added that he preferred legal migrants from Guinea or Ivory Coast to "clandestine networks of Bulgarians and Ukrainians.”, RFERL reported.
“I prefer the people who arrive from Guinea or Ivory Coast legally, who are here and do work, than the underground (clandestine) Bulgarian or Ukrainian networks.”
His interview provoked a sharp reaction among the entire journalistic guild in France. The authoritative weekly L'observateur points out that "it is the first time the French president has given an interview to the far-right media."
"During the conversation, the French ambassador noted that France has no claim to the citizens of Ukraine who visit the country. Therefore, Macron's words concerning migration and legal employment were taken out of context," the ministry's spokeswoman said after talking with the French diplomat. She noted that "“There is a full understanding and cooperation between Kyiv and Paris in implementing the arrangements for the movement of citizens from both countries,” a Ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying.
On Saturday, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva ordered the Bulgarian ambassador in Paris to hand a protest note to the French Foreign Ministry, while summoning the French Ambassador in Sofia, Florence Robine, for explanations on Monday, RFERL reported. |