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The Russian Foreign Ministry's chief spokeswoman seems to have a burgeoning second career writing lyrics for pop songs.

Maria Zakharova, despite a full-time day job as the public face of Russian diplomacy, has supplied the words to "Paid in Full", a break-up song performed by popular singer Katya Lel, .

The bouncy number, , came about as a chance encounter between Katya Lel and Ms Zakharova, the latter coming up with the lyrics "after a sleepless night".

"I paid for everything… The race is over, and you are not the only one anymore. I'm free like a wave, once again," the Russian lyrics go.

It's not the first time that she's branched out into song, either. Last year she wrote "Return the Memory", a song about Syria for singer Narghiz.

However, Ms Zakharova has pointed out that she's not for hire. : "Many people ask me to write, but I don't work to order. I need to feel, to understand - emotions come first, and then the words."

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Nor is she the first Russian government official to go into music.

Vladimir Putin's former speechwriter Jakhan Pollieva has written lyrics for a number of songs, including the 2007 hit , while the president's advisor and one-time deputy prime minister Vladislav Surkov reportedly wrote lyrics for the now-defunct Russian rock band Agatha Christie.

Reporting Igor Sazonov and Alistair Coleman

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