MINSK, 12 February (BelTA) – Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ruslan Varankov has commented on reports that a senior official of the French Foreign Ministry visited Minsk, BelTA has learned.
Earlier, such information appeared in the French publication Le Monde. Ruslan Varankov confirmed that on 5 and 6 February, Head of the Directorate for Continental Europe at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Brice Roquefeuil was in Minsk at the invitation of the Belarusian side. According to him, such visits are not out of the ordinary.
“The Belarusian side maintains regular working contacts with both France and other Western states,” the Foreign Ministry press secretary said. “At the same time, dialogue both through bilateral channels and on the sidelines of multilateral events is often confidential.”
In Minsk, the French Foreign Ministry official met with Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Sekreta. In addition, the French diplomat held consultations with representatives of the Belarusian expert and analytical community.
“We have always been open to equal dialogue, provided it is built on the principles of mutual respect and aimed at finding solutions of mutual interest,” Ruslan Varankov assured.
Photo by Kristina Aksenova/BelTA
Follow us on:
