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Head of UK diplomatic mission in Belarus posts first video address
August 22, Pozirk. William Longhurst, the new chargé d’affaires en titre at the UK embassy in Minsk, has posted his first video address, thanking Belarusians for their hospitality.
He recorded the address in Russian, noting that he knows only two words in Belarusian: pryvitannie (hello) and dziakuj (thank you).
Earlier, he posted a photo carousel on the embassy’s Facebook accounts sharing some details of his biography.
Longhurst was born in 1967 in Chelmsford, where Guglielmo Marconi opened the world’s first wireless factory in 1898. His father worked as an engineer at a factory linked to Marconi’s company throughout his career.
He attended the University of Sheffield. He said his family were very surprised when he joined the Foreign Office in 1990.
He enjoys tennis and golf, plays the cello and piano and supports London’s Arsenal FC. Longhurst speaks Russian, Japanese, Korean, French, Serbian and German. Before coming to Belarus, he lived in South Korea, Japan, the United States, Serbia, Cambodia and Switzerland. His favorite cuisine is Japanese.
Longhurst presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ on July 31.
From 2014 to 2018, he served as the UK ambassador to Cambodia. Before his appointment to Belarus, he was deputy head of mission in Switzerland.
UK Charge d’Affaires William Longhurst presents his credentials to Belarus’ foreign minister
August 1, Pozirk. William Longhurst, charge d’affaires en titre at the UK embassy in Minsk, presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ on July 31. The UK downgraded its diplomatic presence in Belarus to charge d’affaires after the departure …
