Belarus foreign minister Makei dies - Belta - Reuters

Nov 26 (Reuters) - Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has died astatine the property of 64, authorities quality bureau Belta reported connected Saturday.

"Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has passed distant suddenly," Belta reported.

Makei had held his station since 2012.

He had attended a league of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) - a subject confederation of respective station state states - successful Yerevan earlier this week and was owed to conscionable Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov connected Monday.

Before the statesmanlike elections and wide anti-government protests successful Belarus successful 2020, Makei had been 1 of the initiators of efforts to amended Belarus' relations with the West and had criticised Russia.

However, helium abruptly changed his stance aft the commencement of the protests, claiming they were inspired by agents of the West.

"We are shocked by the reports of the decease of the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei," Russian overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted successful her Telegram channel. "Official condolences volition beryllium published soon."

Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Heinrich and David Holmes

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