US Ambassador: “Goal of US and EU is to release Alyaksandr Kazulin”

The United States of America and the European Union have a common goal – respecting of human rights in Belarus and fulfilling of democratic standards. Head of US diplomatic mission in Minsk Karen Stewart said it 18 March in the interview to Radio Svaboda, commenting on results of the meetings with the EU leadership in Brussels. “We share a more concrete aim- release of Alyaksandr Kazulin,” the diplomat noted.

The ambassador said the European Union worked out its approaches to get its concern over the Belarusian authorities. According to her, the USA is a single country, and the European Union is a union of countries, and there are some divergences in tactics. But what concerns strategy, their positions remain very close and coordinated.

According to Karen Stewart, the US side is trying to find out what has caused the recommendation of the official Minsk to reduce US embassy staff. “They want equal numbers of diplomats working at the US embassy in Minsk and in the Belarusian embassy in Washington,” the ambassador said. But the US doesn’t think the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations requires such equality. So they continue to consider the demand of Minsk.

K. Stewart emphasised the Belarusian authorities should release all political prisoners to improve bilateral relations.

The US ambassador left Belarus 12 March after the second strong recommendation of the Belarusian side. Belarus’ envoy to the US Mikhail Khvastou was recalled from Washington for consultations in the connection of the imposed by the US additional sanctions against Belneftekhim concern.