Lesik the fox was revealed during an event attended by officials from Minsk 2019, the Belorussian branch of UNICEF and children from the Belorussian Association for Assistance to Disabled and Young Disabled Children (BAADYDC).

Minsk 2019 claim Lesik came to earth from another planet in search of friends, reaching Belarus after a long walk of a million steps.

Lesiki then found the country’s fern flower, which is said to fulfil all your wishes.

Deputy chief executive of Minsk 2019, Anatol Kotov revealed he thought Lesik would "fit perfectly" into the overall concept of the Games.

"We’re planning plenty of promotional activities with the mascot," he said.

Kotov added: "Let this character bring his spark to the long-awaited event!

"And we want the little fox to find friends not only in Belarus, but throughout the world."

Lesik has been designed wearing a green shirt, which is said to represent development and harmony, while the fox’s black shorts signify discipline and determination.

The orange fur represents "cheerfulness" and his blue shoes "the invincibility of our character".

Also in attendance at the ceremony were Olympic canoe sprint champion Alexander Bahdanovich , ambassador for the Games, and UNICEF representative Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, who claimed the mascot’s "bright and energetic character" was "exactly how the mascot of a major sporting event should be".

Local bands Lifesound and Aura, as well as Daniel Yastremsky – who represented Belarus at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest this year – performed for the guests.

Next year’s competition is due take place from June 14 to 30.