Deputy Assistant Secretary of State to visit Minsk
2- 21.08.2008, 8:10
The US welcomes release of political prisoners Syarhei Parsyukevich and Andrei Kim. A high-ranking official of the US Department of State goes to Minsk today.
According to Washington, the release of these political prisoners, “combined with what we hope will be further positive steps, offers the real possibility of a significant improvement in relations between the United States and Belarus”. It is stated in the report for the press, distributed by a spokesperson of the US Department of State Robert Wood.
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In light of this development, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs David A. Merkel will travel to Minsk later today for meetings with Belarusian officials and members of the democratic opposition.
As the Charter’97 press-centre informed, political prisoners Syarhei Parsyukevich and Andrei Kim were released on August 20 in Belarus, which followed the August 16 release of Alyaksandr Kazulin, one of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition.
Relations of Belarus with the US and the EU were tense over the last years. The US charged the Belarusian leadership with human rights violations in the country many times. Denial to release political prisoners was one of the reasons for imposing economic sanctions by the US.
In November the US imposed sanctions against Belneftekhim concern’s enterprises. In particular, the sanctions provide freezing of any bank accounts of these entities that are within US jurisdiction and Belneftekhim representative offices in Germany, Latvia, the Ukraine, Russia, and China, and its wholly-owned US subsidiary Belneftekhim USA, Inc.
According to the guidance to the sanctions issued in March 2008, the sanctions were also extended to the entities, where Belneftekhim has direct or indirect income of at least 50 per cent.
After the official site of the US Treasury published explanations to the sanctions imposed against Belneftekhim concern, Belarusian Ambassador to the US M. Khvastou was recalled from Washington for consultations. On March 12 on demand of Belarusian authorities as a retaliatory step K. Stewart left Belarus. After the number of Belarusian Embassy staff in the US was cut down, and considering of applications for visas was suspended. Now 4 US diplomats work in the US Embassy in Minsk.
