Брис Рокфёй. Фото: МИД Армении
On 5–6 February, a visit to Minsk by Bris Roquefeuil, Director for Continental Europe at the Directorate for Political and Security Affairs of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, took place at the invitation of the Belarusian side. The visit was confirmed on Wednesday by Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ruslan Varankou in response to a question from the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Varankou confirmed that the visit had taken place, stressing that such contacts “are nothing out of the ordinary” and noting that Belarus’s interactions with Western countries are often confidential in nature.
“The Belarusian side maintains regular working contacts with France as well as with other Western states. At the same time, dialogue both through bilateral channels and on the margins of multilateral events is often confidential,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
During his stay in Minsk, Bris Roquefeuil met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Ihar Sakreta and representatives of the Belarusian expert and analytical community.
“Since this information has been made public, we confirm that on 5–6 February, at the invitation of the Belarusian side, the Director for Continental Europe at the Directorate for Political and Security Affairs of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Bris Roquefeuil, was in Minsk. He held a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Ihar Sakreta. In addition, the French diplomat conducted consultations with representatives of the Belarusian expert and analytical community,” Varankou stated.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry подчеркнуло, that it is “always open to an equal dialogue if it is built on the principles of mutual respect and aimed at finding solutions that are of mutual interest.”
Roquefeuil served as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from 2021 until its dissolution in 2025.