Belarus recalls its ambassador to France after the departure of its French counterpart

Belarus has recalled its French ambassador after having obtained the departure of its French counterpart in Minsk the day before, the diplomacy of this former Soviet republic announced on Monday, the latest illustration of the crisis with the Europeans.

"Belarusian Ambassador to France Igor Fissenko has been recalled to Minsk for consultations," ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said in a statement.

The French ambassador in Minsk, Nicolas de Bouillane de Lacoste left Belarus on Sunday at the request of local authorities.

"The Belarusian Foreign Ministry requested that the ambassador leave before October 18," said a French spokesperson.

The ambassador "said goodbye to the embassy staff and sent a video message to the Belarusian people, which will appear on the embassy website tomorrow".

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According to Belarusian media, the French ambassador was expelled because he never presented his credentials to President Alexander Lukashenko.

"France has not recognized the result of the election of August 9, 2020, and I have not submitted my credentials," confirmed Nicolas de Bouillane de Lacoste in a video message broadcast Monday by the embassy of France in Minsk.

“We spent difficult but unforgettable days here (...).

We have met many courageous and strong-minded people, ”the French ambassador underlined in his video message, promising that he and his wife would“ always ”remain alongside the Belarusians.

For his part, Anatoli Glaz expressed Monday his "sincere regret" over the non-delivery of credentials by the French ambassador to President Alexander Lukashenko.

"We have an interest in fully restoring the functioning of the two diplomatic missions", in France and Belarus, he assured.

Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, faced in 2020 an unprecedented protest movement contesting his re-election.

This movement was gradually put down with arrests and forced exiles.

Minsk, a close ally of Moscow, and the Europeans have been in the cold ever since.

According to Belarusian media, the ambassador never presented his credentials to President Alexander Lukashenko.

France, like other countries of the European Union, has not recognized the results of the presidential election last August, which granted a sixth term to Alexander Lukashenko and sparked massive protests for several months. and unprecedented in this former Soviet republic, an ally of Vladimir Putin's Russia.