BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

31/03/2008

Belarus seeks new reduction in U.S. embassy staff

MINSK (Reuters) - Ex-Soviet Belarus, locked in a diplomatic row over sanctions and human rights with Washington, has asked for a second reduction in staffing at the U.S. embassy in Minsk, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The U.S. ambassador left Belarus this month at the urging of authorities angry at what they saw as new sanctions on oil firm Belneftekhim. They also secured a reduction of nearly 50 percent in embassy staffing.

The Foreign Ministry said the U.S. measures had obliged them to reduce staff at the Belarus embassy in Washington and demanded new cuts at the U.S. embassy in Minsk.

"Given the repeated U.S. refusal to rescind new measures against Belneftekhim and the consistent U.S. line on reducing contacts...Belarus has decided to further reduce the size of its embassy in Washington," the ministry said on its Internet site.

"It is being proposed that the U.S. side reduce the size of its embassy staff by the same numbers and within the same deadlines," it said.

The United States and European Union have long imposed sanctions on Belarus, including an entry ban on President Alexander Lukashenko over human rights concerns. The country has in recent months sought better ties with the European Union.

But last week, security forces broke up an opposition rally and courts jailed or fined dozens of activists, prompting stern condemnations from Western countries.

(Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky, Writing by Ron Popeski)

Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033100950.html

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