Belarus Embassy

Nestled between the embassies of Azerbaijan and Mongolia, the Belarus Embassy in London stands at 6 Kensington Court. It’s a surprisingly unassuming building for a place that has seen so much diplomatic activity. The Belarus Embassy officially opened its doors in London in 1994. This followed the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and the United Kingdom in 1992 after Belarus gained independence. Originally, the Belarusian diaspora provided a building at 1 St Stephen’s Crescent. This served as both a consulate and the fledgling embassy. The first ambassador to the UK from Belarus was Vladimir Senko. Over the years, the Belarus Embassy has been a hub of activity. It hosted the first Belarus Investment Forum in London on November 18, 2008. This coincided with a visit by then-Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky. The embassy witnessed the presentation of credentials by Ambassador Sergei Aleinik in 2013, first to the Vice Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps and later to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The Belarus Embassy also facilitated a working visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Alena Kupchyna in 2013. She met with David Lidington, the Minister of State for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In 2016, the embassy played a role in the visit of Prince Michael of Kent to Belarus, where he met with President Alexander Lukashenko. The year 2017 marked the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This led to an exchange of messages between the foreign ministers and a visit to Belarus by Sir Alan Duncan, the British Minister of State for Europe and the Americas. He met with both President Lukashenko and the Belarusian Foreign Minister. More recently, in 2018, the Belarus Embassy orchestrated the first official visit of a Belarusian Foreign Minister to the UK since 1993. Vladimir Makei met with Boris Johnson, then-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and other ministers. This visit resulted in the signing of memorandums of understanding on trade and economic cooperation, and customs cooperation. The Belarus Embassy in London continues to be a vital link between the two nations. It facilitates dialogue, promotes cooperation, and serves as a resource for Belarusian citizens in the UK.