French FM rejects unworthy", "unacceptable" comments on First Lady

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday rejected "unworthy" and "unacceptable" comments by Brazilian official mocking French President's wife Brigitte Macron.

"The way in which such a Brazilian official, minister in addition, treats Mrs. Macron is unworthy, unworthy for her, for France, but also for women, starting with the Brazilian women who themselves protest against this type of declaration," Le Drian said.

"I do not confuse the current leaders and the reality of Brazil. But, unfortunately, I'm noting a persistence of aggressive, invective words which are unacceptable," he told local broadcaster Europe 1.

The French top diplomat also told officials in the Latin American country that "one does not manage international relations as an insult competition."

Le Drian's remarks came after Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes publicly mocked about the physical appearance of France's First Lady early this week, igniting further a personal dispute and diplomatic spat between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.

The war of words between the two leaders broke out on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Biarritz last month, after Macron fired at Bolsonaro over failure to honor ecology commitment as fires ravaged the Amazon basin.