Tom Casey: “If the Belarusian Government wishes to shoot itself in the foot, they're welcome to do so”

“We’re deeply disappointed that the government in Belarus would choose to put forward these kinds of ideas and accusations,” Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman of the US Department of State, said on the briefing in Washington. “But frankly, if the Belarusian Government wishes to shoot itself in the foot, they're welcome to do so,” Mr Casey concluded.

According to the Department of State spokesman, Ambassador Karen Stewart will remain in Minsk, in spite of strong recommendation of the Belarusian authorities to leave the country, BelaPAN reports.

“The initial reports had indicated that she had been expelled from the country or formally told she must leave. That is not true. The Belarusian Government has suggested -- I think that’s the polite phrase -- that she return to the United States for consultations. She is in Minsk and she’ll remain in Minsk while we continue to review the situation,” T. Casey said. According to the Department of State, he doesn't expect any change in K. Stewart’s status, barring some new developments.

“It’s important, we think, to have our Embassy there in Minsk and to have high-level diplomatic representation there to engage with the Belarusian Government on a number of concerns, including some of the ones you’ve heard us speak about, which is the need to release all political prisoners, including Mr. Kazulin,” the Department of State representative emphasised.

According to T. Casey, on 7 March the heads of OSCE missions were convoked by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to meet with the Deputy Foreign Minister. Though K. Stewart was invited there, she was not permitted into that meeting. During that meeting the Belarusian Government made a number of accusations against the United States. The case was in the imposed by the United States “political sanctions.” K. Stewart was then called into a separate meeting and was then told that the Belarusian Government believed that she should leave the country, T. Casey said. According to him, it was also talked about a number of other possible restrictions.

The Department of State representative said the recalling of the Belarusian envoy to the US Mikhail Khvastou was “an internal decision of the Belarusian Government.”

“We’re deeply disappointed that the government in Belarus would choose to put forward these kinds of ideas and accusations,” T. Casey said. “We have said -- and I refer you back to the statement we made last week, that we are appreciative of the fact that they have released several of the political prisoners. And we, in fact, noted at the time that if they were to release the remaining political prisoners, very specifically Mr. Kazulin, then we might be in a position to engage with them and begin a dialogue on how we might be able to improve relations.”

“But frankly, if the Belarusian Government wishes to shoot itself in the foot, they're welcome to do so,” T. Casey concluded.

The official Minsk said on 7 March Belarusian ambassador to the US Mikhail Khvastou was recalled for consultations over the sanctions against Belneftekhim concern, imposed 13 November last year and particularised on the site of the US Department of Treasury on 6 March.

Gordon Johndroe, deputy assistant to the US president and spokesman for the National Security Council, said the US considered recommendation of the Belarusian authorities to recall K. Stewart from Minsk for consultations to be unjustified.

The main reason for the US sanctions is political prisoners in Belarus. Today former candidate for presidency in Belarus Alyaksandr Kazulin, youth leader Andrei Kim and entrepreneurs’ leader Syarhei Parsyukevich are in prisons.