US Embassy Suspended Issuing Visas

Examining applications for receiving US visas in Belarus has been temporarily suspended. Some interviews for getting visas have been postponed. The US Government is in the process of reviewing the request made by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 17 that the U.S. Embassy in Minsk reduce its staffing, the web-page of the Embassy informs, and “therefore, visa processing has been temporarily suspended while our resources are engaged addressing other priorities.”

Further information will be provided once the extent of the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide visa services in Belarus has been determined.

Services for American citizens continue as usual.

On March 17 the Belarusian side strongly recommended the US Embassy in Belarus to cut its staff.

Yesterday Karen Stewart noted that the American side is trying to find out what had caused such a recommendation of the official Minsk. The diplomat said the Belarusian side might want the US Embassy have the same number of employees as the Belarusian Embassy in the US. But the US does not think Vienna convention on diplomatic relations demands such correspondence. So considering the request continues.

On March 7 Belarusian authorities recommended the US Ambassador to leave Belarus in connection with the US Department of State sanctions imposed against Belneftekhim. On March 7, 2008 the US Treasury published guidance on sanctions imposed against Belneftekhim in autumn 2007.

On March 12 the US decided to recall Ambassador Karen Stewart from Belarus “for short consultations”. Belarus recalled its ambassador Mikhail Khvastou to Minsk as well.

The reason for US sanctions is a refusal of Belarusian regime to release political prisoners. Today a former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin, a young leader Andrei Kim and a leader of small businessmen Syarhei Parsyukevich stay in prison.

The White House has called the decision of the Belarusian regime to expel the US Ambassador to Belarus ungrounded and stated that it could cause further isolation of the country worldwide. It is said in the statement that the actions of Minsk bring Belarus even further from Europe and the rest of the world.