Belarusian Foreign Ministry Delivered Note of Protest to US Ambassador

US Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart has been delivered a note of protest connected with the sanctions imposed by US Treasury against Belneftekhim concern, told a press-secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Papou.

As said by him, the note has been delivered on November 15 by a deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Viktar Haisyonak. It is noted in the document that the US decision violates bilateral relations and norms of international law. The Belarusian side demands the US to receive arrested assets to its owner, Belneftekhim, and to lift all restrictions, and divests itself of responsibility for effect of this decision of the US on the relations between economic entities of the two countries, the BelaPAN writes.

As we have informed, on Tuesday, November 13, Bush Administration froze accounts of the Belarusian state-run concern Belneftekhim. The reason for that was that the concern is controlled by Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Sanctions of the U.S. Treasury concern all Belneftekhim offices in Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and China, and the American branch of the concern Belneftekhim USA. The US demand to stop repressions in Belarus and release political prisoners.

Since 2006, the Treasury has blocked personal assets of Lukashenka and other high-ranking officials in the Belarusian government.

"Today's action tightens our sanctions against Lukashenka and his cronies by imposing financial sanctions against a massive conglomerate under the regime's control," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Previously US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Kramer said Washington would impose new sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. The US spokesman noted that new sanctions are connected with the fact that the Belarusian authorities have refused to release political prisoners.

“I’m disappointed to see that no political prisoners have been released. Moreover, we have seen the regime enforcing the pressure on the opposition and activists of non-governmental organizations”, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said.