Belarus expels French Ambassador for not giving copies of credentials to Alexander Lukashenko
In another escalation in deteriorating ties between Belarus and European Union (E.U.), the French Ambassador to Minsk – Nicolas de Bouillane de Lacoste, has been asked to leave the country.
While Nicolas has already left the country, Belarus has also recalled its Ambassador to Paris – Igor Fesenko. Belarus claims that Nicolas was expelled because he never met the President of Belarus – Alexander Lukashenko to give him copies of his credentials.
However, the French authorities have denied the charges put on Nicolas. According to the French Embassy, Nicolas gave all the required documents to the Foreign Minister of Belarus – Vladimir Makei. This didn’t go down well with Lukashenko.
Speaking on the occasion, an Embassy Spokesperson said, “Ambassador Nicolas de Lacoste left Belarus today. He said goodbye to the staff of the embassy and recorded a video message to the Belarusian people, which will appear tomorrow morning on the embassy’s website.”
France, like other E.U. countries has refused to recognise Lukashenko as the President of Belarus. He is accused of rigging the August 9, 2020 polls. Lukashenko has denied all allegations of vote-rigging. It is believed he sought help from Russia to stay in power. This was followed by mass protest across the country where people demanded his immediate resignation. The protests are still being held every Sunday. Tens of thousands of protesters have been detained and many have been brutally beaten.
The E.U. and the United States (U.S.) have imposed several sanctions on Lukashenko’s regime over a post-vote crackdown on dissent in Belarus after the country erupted in historic protests against his rule. Lukashenko accuses the Western powers of destabilising the Government in Belarus.
In addition, Belarus expelled the entire staff of Latvia’s Embassy, including the Ambassador in March 2021, after Latvian authorities used a Belarusian opposition flag at an ice hockey championship. The Foreign Minister of Latvia – Edgars Rinkevics has called on for more economic sanctions on Belarus to increase pressure on Lukashenko. In August 2021, Minsk revoked the consent for the appointment of the U.S. Ambassador –Julie Fisher, who in December had been confirmed as the first US envoy to the ex-Soviet country since 2008.
European leaders have also accused Lukashenko’s regime of pushing undocumented migrants into Poland and the Baltic States in an attempt to blackmail the 27-member bloc.
