Belarus cuts number of US diplomats in Minsk, bans USAID

<p> MINSK, Jun 4 - PrimePress. Belarus has reduced the number of personnel of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Minsk and imposed a ban on activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Belarus in response to the renewal of U.S. sanctions against nine Belarusian petrochemical enterprises from June 3, 2021, said spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Anatoli Glaz on June 3, the Foreign Ministry’s press service said in a statement. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “Today (on June 3 – editor’s note) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the U.S. charge d'affaires in Belarus to announce the retaliatory measures. Among them is the reduction of diplomatic and administrative and technical personnel of the U.S. diplomatic mission, tightening visa requirements and restricting the work of U.S. specialists in Belarus on a temporary basis. We have also rescinded the authorization for the U.S. Agency for International Development to work in Belarus,” Anatoly Glaz noted. </p> <p>   </p> <p> He described the retaliatory move as targeted measures designed to send a clear signal to the United States about the futility of pressure and coercion in relations with Belarus. “As before, we do not want to escalate the situation and are ready to continue contacts with the United States on the principles of equality and mutual respect,” Glaz said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The MFA official referred to the U.S. sanctions as illegal actions that run afoul of international law and seek to put pressure on a sovereign state. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, the U.S. Department of the Treasury on 19 Apr 2021 decided that starting 3 June 2021 the United States will re-impose full blocking sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises previously granted relief under a series of General Licenses by the Treasury Department (Belneftekhim Concern and its U.S. representative office, as well as Belneftekhim-controlled Belshina, Grodno Azot, Grodno Khimvolokno, Lakokraska, Naftan, Polotsk-Steklovolokno, and Belarusian Oil Trading House). The sanctions were imposed in 2006 for violations by the Belarusian authorities of the Iranian sanctions regime and political repression inside the country. Since October 2015, restrictive measures against Belarusian companies have been partially suspended due to progress in the area of human rights, in particular, the release of all political prisoners. The US Department of the Treasury lifted sanctions against nine Belarusian petrochemical companies in October 2015. Until 2018, the decision was reviewed every six months; the suspension was extended for a year in 2018 and for another year and a half in 2019. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In March 2008, Belarus recalled its ambassador to the United States, Mikhail Khvostov, after the US imposed additional sanctions against the Belneftekhim state petrochemical concern. Belarusian authorities demanded that US Ambassador Karen Stewart leave Belarus, and that the number of American diplomats reduce from 35 to five. Since then, the embassies had been headed by charges d’affaires. The Foreign Ministry of Belarus lifted restrictions on the number of American diplomats in March 2019. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In September 2019, U.S. Under Secretary of State David Hale announced that the United States and Belarus were ready to appoint ambassadors. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Europe and the EU Julie D. Fisher was appointed as United States ambassador to Belarus. The U.S. did not recognise the official outcome of the August 2020 presidential election in Belarus and Fisher never arrived in Minsk. There was a discussion to ward Fisher accreditation in Vilnius. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Belarus outraged the West yet another time when it forced the Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to land in its capital Minsk on May 23 to arrest the dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. The Ryanair incident has triggered another series of tough statements by the U.S. U.S. President Joe Biden on May 24 condemned the incident with the Ryanair passenger aircraft and the detention of blogger Roman Protasevich in Belarus, called for his release and said he instructed to develop measures to bring to justice for what happened. End </p>

2021-06-05

Primepress