Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei "suddenly" died at 64 years old, the country's Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday, providing little information about the incident.
The foreign ministry also posted a picture of the Belarusian official on Twitter, writing in English that he "has passed away." However, authorities did not provide any insight as to where or how he died.
Sudden Death of Belarusian Foreign Minister
Belarusian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment and the state media outlet Belta reported Makei's death, citing a ministry spokesperson, but also did not provide many details.
For years, the Belarusian foreign minister had been in the orbit of President Alexander Lukashenko, gaining his position in 2012. Makei previously served as an assistant and later as chief of staff to Lukashenko, based on a biography on the foreign ministry's website, which wrote that he was married and was the father to three children.
There were reports that Lukashenko expressed his condolences to Makei's family for the official's sudden death. The situation comes as the foreign minister was set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week in Minsk, Belarus' capital, as per the Washington Post.
Russia's Foreign Ministry released a statement on Sunday, saying that Lavrov had sent a telegram of condolence to Makei's wife. They added that the leadership and staff of the Russian Foreign Ministry deeply mourned the sudden passing of Makei.
The Russian ministry added that Makei was a true friend of Russia, saying that the late official made a unique contribution to the comprehensive development of broad bilateral cooperation, the integration construction of the Union State, and the strengthening of ties between the fraternal peoples of Russia and Belarus.
According to CNN, the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement said that Makei will forever remain in their hearts and called him a man of a broad soul and deep wisdom. They called him a brilliant professional, colleague, and faithful comrade who won the love and respect of the citizens and his country.
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Vladimir Makei
Makei was born in 1958 in Grodno and he later graduated from the Minsk State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages in 1980. From then until 1993, he served in the Armed Forces of the USSR and Belarus. He then became assistant to the President of Belarus and served as Head of the Administration of the President of Belarus from 2008 to 2012.
Since Aug. 22, 2012, Makei has had the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, having the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, Makei emphasized that no one would attack the latter from the territory of Belarus. His remarks were made during a telephone conversation with the defense ministers of Belarus and Ukraine.
Furthermore, prior to the presidential elections in 2020 that led to large anti-government protests in Belarus, Makei was among those who tried to improve the country's relations with the West. After the demonstrations, however, he noted that they had been inspired by agents of the West, Sky News reported.
