Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Ruslan Varankov, commented on the information that previously appeared in the French publication Le Monde about the visit of a high-ranking representative of the French MFA to Minsk. Varankov responded to an inquiry from the Russian information agency "RIA-Novosti".
The building housing the French Embassy in Minsk. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Varankov noted that such trips are not unusual. Belarus, he said, maintains regular working contacts not only with France, but also with other Western countries. At the same time, negotiations, both in a bilateral format and within the framework of international events, often remain confidential.
After information about this visit became public, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Brice Roquefeuil, Director of the Continental Europe Department of the Main Department for Political and Security Affairs of the French MFA, visited Minsk on February 5-6. The visit took place at the invitation of the Belarusian side.
The French representative met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Igor Sakreta, and also held "consultations with representatives of the Belarusian expert-analytical community".
It was also reported earlier that Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, visited Moscow on February 3 for talks with Russian officials, particularly with presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. This visit was also not publicly announced.
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