Belarusian MFA is waiting
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15:18, — Politics
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus hasn’t received a reply to its demand on cutting staff of the U.S. embassy in Minsk. Andrei Papou, MFA spokesman, said it on briefing on 17 April answering journalists’ questions.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus has no new information about the U.S. decision,” BelaPAN quotes Papou. “I would not like to go into detail and describe our further declarations and intentions. All our statements we have made before, remain in force.”
He refused sharply to answer the question whether officers of the Belarusian embassy in the U.S. had come back to Minsk.
Belarusian ambassador Mikhail Khvastou was recalled from Washington on 7 March, after the U.S. published guidance on sanctions imposed against Belneftekhim concern. Ambassador Karen Stewart left Minsk on 12 March on the insistence of the Belarusian side. The United States was recommended to reduce its embassy staff. 17 American diplomats left Belarus on 27 March.
31 March Belarus took a decision on cutting its embassy in Washington staff and proposed the U.S. to do the same. As Viktar Haisyanok, deputy minister of foreign affairs explained on 2 April, Belarus wanted diplomatic missions to have equal numbers, according to the formula one plus six (one ambassador and six diplomats).
Tom Casey, U.S. State Department’s Deputy Spokesman, said on 5 April the new demand of Belarus was “unwarranted and unjustified.” As it was later reported, the U.S. wouldn’t go on further embassy staff cutting.
