Belarus insists on run-down of US Embassy personnel

The Belarusian side strongly recommended the US Embassy in Belarus to reduce its diplomatic staff.

Jonathan Moore, US Chargé d’Affaires for Belarus, was informed about it in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 March, BelaPAN informs.

The Belarusian authorities recommended the US Ambassador to leave the country on 7 March in the connection of Department of State sanctions against Belneftekhim. On 7 March 2008 the US Department of Treasury explained the imposed in autumn 2007 sanctions against Belneftekhim, and thus in fact expanded them to all Belarusian petrochemical enterprises with state’s stake more than 50 per cent. Before this guidance was published the sanctions affected only the representatives of the concern and a number of its foreign subsidiaries.

12 March the United States took a decision to recall its ambassador Karen Stewart for consultations. Belarus recalled its envoy to the US Mikhail Khvastou to Minsk for consultations.

The reason of the imposed by the US sanctions is refusal of the Belarusian authorities to release political prisoners. Former candidate for presidency of Belarus Alyaksandr Kazulin, youth leader Andrei Kim and entrepreneurs’ leader Syarhei Parsyukevich are in prisons now.

The White House called groundless the decision of the Belarusian authorities to expel US Ambassador to Belarus and said it could lead to further isolation of the country. The statement said the actions by Minsk "only take them further away from Europe and the rest of the world."