MINSK, 29 November (BelTA) - The interests of Belarus were above all for Vladimir Makei, Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Rudenko said at a farewell ceremony for Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei on 29 November, BelTA has learned.
According to Andrei Rudenko, a joint board meeting of the foreign ministries of Belarus and Russia was to take place in Minsk the day before. Therefore, the sudden death of Vladimir Makei shocked everyone.
“A wonderful person, a brilliant diplomat and a true professional has passed away. We will never forget the contribution he made to the development of bilateral relations and the promotion of the Union State. Above all, Vladimir Makei was a patriot of Belarus, a patriot in the highest sense of the word. The interests of the country were above all for him. We knew it, we respected it, and we were very pleased to work with him all these years,” the Russian deputy minister of foreign affairs said.
Andrei Rudenko called Vladimir Makei a great friend of Russia, who understood the importance of developing bilateral relations. “Vladimir Vladimirovich [Makei] also consistently supported the idea of the union of the three fraternal countries: Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. His name is also associated with the history of the Minsk agreements. He took an active part in our latest negotiations with Ukraine - first on the border of Gomel Oblast, then near Brest. We will never forget his contribution, his desire to bring peace and friendship to our lands,” the Russian diplomat said.
