Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei died on Saturday at the age of 64, according to the country’s foreign ministry.
“Vladimir Makei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, died unexpectedly today,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on its official Facebook page, without revealing any details about the foreign minister’s death.
Makei was born in the Belarusian district of Grodno in 1958. According to his official profile on the foreign ministry’s website, he has been in the position since August 2012.
According to Russian official media agency RIA Novosti, Makei was due to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.
According to a statement posted on the presidential website, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko conveyed his sympathies to Makei’s family and friends on Saturday.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “deeply disturbed” by the news of his death.
“As Foreign Minister, he made a significant contribution to the continued improvement of Russian-Belarusian ties,” the statement stated.
“He resolutely and effectively fought the interests of the Republic of Belarus on international platforms,” the ministry added, adding that “this is a sad, irreparable loss.”
