Vladimir Makeï, 64, was a faithful of the leader Alexandre Loukachenko and had no known chronic disease.
by Faustine Vincent
What happened to the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs? The sudden death of Vladimir Makeï, 64, was announced on Saturday, without any reason put forward by the authorities. “Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makeï died suddenly,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs simply said on Saturday. The diplomat, married and father of three children, held this position since 2012 and had no known chronic disease.
Vladimir Makeï was to meet, Monday, November 28, in Minsk, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Russian, Sergei Lavrov. The visit was postponed after the announcement of his death. Belarus is a close ally of Russia, offering its territory to it so that it waged its war against Ukraine.
In a press release, President Belarusian, Alexandre Loukachenko, expressed his condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Makeï. For its part, the Russian foreign ministry said “to deeply cry premature death” of an “exceptional”, “real patriot” and “true friend” of Russia. “In 2020, Vladimir Makeï betrayed the Belarusian people and supported tyranny. This is how the Belarusses will remember him,” said the head of the Belarusian opposition in exile, Svetlana Tsikhanovskaïa. >
“A loss for Loukachenko”
The head of diplomacy, considered the main communication channel between Belarus and Western countries, was a faithful of Alexandre Loukachenko, of whom he was the chief of staff before becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2012. He is the only high -ranking politician to have survived the purge led by the Belarusian leader, in 2020, after his disputed re -election, who had triggered historical demonstrations, brutally repressed.
“Vladimir Makeï has spent many years bleaching Loukachenko in the West and concealing his crimes, commented, on Saturday, Franak Viacorka, advisor to M me tsikhanovskaïa. He is considered the author of the strategy of “geopolitical rocking”, which consists in balancing relations between the West and Russia. It is undoubtedly a loss for Loukachenko. But it had never been close to the Belarusses. “
In February, some time before the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Mr. Makeï had assured that “not a single” Russian soldier would remain in Belarus after the joint maneuvers with Moscow, on the Ukrainian border. On the 24th, it was however from Belarus, in particular, that the Russian troops invaded the country.
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