This is the moment a Russian minister and the Secretary General of OPEC “shake” feet instead of hands in a joking attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The bizarre scene was recorded in Vienna when Russia’s Minister of Energy Alexander Novak, 48, met Nigerian politician and Secretary General of OPEC, Mohammed Barkindo, 60, in front of the press at the OPEC Congress currently being held in the Austrian capital.
In the video, the two officials can be seen putting their feet together in a greeting instead of shaking hands before both men burst into laughter.
Video Credit: CEN/@OPECSecretariat
Images posted by OPEC’s official social media accounts showed the two men later shaking hands at the congress.
Reports state unprecedented measures have been taken to prevent the diseases from reaching the conference as cases of coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, have been reported in Vienna. The congress will take place from 4th – 6th March.
The incident comes after French President Emmanuel Macron, 42, made it clear he would not be shaking hands with other officials at meetings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The head of Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Anna Popova, 59 has called for her compatriots to wash their hands more often and not go abroad as a preventive measure during the outbreak.
Russian minister used his foot while greeting the OPEC 
Russian minister used his foot while greeting the OPEC
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Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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