France's ambassador to Belarus has been expelled after refusing to meet with the country's President Lukashenko following last year's contested election result. 

Instead, Nicolas de Lacoste presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, which Lukashenko took as a snub. 

France confirmed Lacoste left the country on Sunday ahead of a Monday deadline from the Belarusian government. 

"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," a spokesperson confirmed. 

"As you know, France did not recognize the result of the August 9, 2020 election, and I did not submit my credentials. We have spent difficult but unforgettable days here," Lacoste said in his farewell message. 

"We call on you to never give up hope for better days," he added.

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France is among many European nations not to recognize Lukashenko's election "victory," which was swiftly followed by mass protests across the country because people thought the vote was rigged. 

On Monday, a spokeswoman for the French Foreign Affairs ministry said: "France will keep on standing by the Belarus people and will look for a solution to the crisis in the country." 

It's not the first diplomatic fallout from the election. 

In March, Belarus expelled the entire staff of Latvia's embassy after Latvian authorities used a Belarusian opposition flag at an ice hockey championship. Ice hockey is famously Lukashenko's favorite sport. 

The Minsk government also refused to admit the Biden administration's pick for U.S. ambassador, Julie Fisher. 

Security services put down the protests following the election and arrested many opposition political figures. 

All of the country's top opposition leaders are either in prison or have fled the country.

In September, a court sentenced one of the country's most prominent opposition figures, Maria Kolesnikova, to 11 years in prison. 

Meanwhile, the European Union is reportedly considering further sanctions against Belarus for its alleged role in sending migrants into the bloc. Foreign ministers are meeting today to discuss their next moves.