CNN
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Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei passed away at the age of 64, the country’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
“Vladimir Makei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, passed away suddenly today,” the foreign ministry said on its official Facebook account, without providing further details on the surrounding circumstances. of the foreign minister death.
Makei was born in 1958 in the Grodno region of Belarus. He has held the position since August 2012, according to his official biography on the website of the State Department.
Makei was scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday, according to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday expressed condolences to Makei’s family and friends, according to a statement published on the president’s website.
The Russian Foreign Ministry added in a statement that it was “deeply shocked” by the news of his death.
“As the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has made a great contribution to the further strengthening of Russia-Belarus relations,” the statement read.
“As a respected professional and a sincere patriot for his country, he firmly and effectively defended the interests of the Republic of Belarus on international platforms,” the ministry continued. continued, adding that “this is a heavy, irreparable loss.”
