Belarusian MFA tries to get rid of U.S. diplomats

United States Charge d’Affaires in Belarus Jonathan Moore has been invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, 23 April.

“Due to the fact that the U.S. sanctions against Belarusian economic entities restrict bilateral relations as well as to the refusal of the United States to settle the situation on mutually acceptable conditions, the Belarusian side, in accordance to the Vienne Convention on Diplomatic Relations, has offered to implement the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus on cutting American diplomatic staff in Minsk and Belarusian staff in the U.S. on parity basis,” the MFA statement says.

The diplomatic conflict between Belarus and the U.S. began after the United States had imposed sanctions against the Belarusian regime due to refusal to release political prisoners.

7 March, after the U.S. published guidance to the sanctions against Belneftekhim, Belarusian ambassador Mikhail Khvastou was recalled from Washington. U.S. ambassador Karen Stewart left Mink on 12 March as the Belarusian side insisted. Later, the U.S. side was recommended to reduce its embassy staff. 17 American diplomats left Belarus on 27 March.

31 March Belarus took a decision to cut its embassy staff in Washington and suggested the U.S. to do the same. As Viktar Haisyanok, deputy minister of foreign affairs, explained Belarus wanted to reduce the number of its diplomats in the United Nations and U.S. ones in Belarus on a parity basis, according to the formula one plus six (one ambassador and six diplomats).

5 April Tom Casey, U.S. State Department’s Deputy Spokesman, called the new demand of Belarus “unwarranted and unjustified.”