“I used to be completely unaware of Mr Durov’s arrival in France,” Emmanuel Macron stated.

French President Emmanuel Macron was not conscious of Telegram proprietor Pavel Durov’s arrival in France on Saturday and had not been scheduled to fulfill him, he instructed a information convention on Thursday throughout a two-day go to in Serbia.

“I used to be completely unaware of Mr Durov’s arrival in France, and that’s fairly regular as a result of I am not conscious of the comings and goings of residents from everywhere in the world, whether or not they have French citizenship or not,” Macron stated.

Durov was arrested by French police after his jet landed at an airport close to Paris. On Wednesday, a French choose put Durov, who has French and UAE citizenship, underneath formal investigation for suspected complicity in working a web based platform that enables illicit transactions, little one intercourse abuse photos, drug trafficking and fraud.

Macron additionally defended France’s resolution in 2021 to present Durov French citizenship underneath a uncommon process for high-profile people.

“It is a part of a technique to permit ladies and men, whether or not artists, athletes or entrepreneurs, after they take the time to study the French language and that they develop wealth, innovation … to be given French nationality,” Macron stated.