Russian President Vladimir Putin takes a boat trip with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, in Russia, on Saturday. Photo: VCG

France's ambassador to Belarus has left the country after the authorities in Minsk demanded he leave by Monday, the embassy said.

The spokeswoman who made the announcement did not say why the Belarusian authorities told the ambassador to leave.

But according to reports in the Belarusian media, the ambassador Nicolas de Lacoste was expelled because he never met President Alexander Lukashenko to give him copies of his credentials.

Instead he gave them to Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, according to the French embassy. Lukashenko, according to reports in the Belarus media, took that as a snub.

"The Belarusian foreign ministry demanded that the ambassador leave before October 18," the embassy spokeswoman told AFP. 

"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 EU countries, has not recognized Lukashenko's claim to a sixth presidential term in disputed elections in August 2020.  

The EU and the US have imposed waves of sanctions on the Belarusian strongman's government after the country erupted in historic protests against his rule.

But the 67-year-old leader, who has accused Western governments of having instigated the protests in the hope of fomenting a revolution, has so far withstood the penalties with the backing of ally and creditor Moscow.

AFP