BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/03/2008

U.S. Ambassador Temporarily Leaves Belarus

U.S. Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart on March 12 announced plans to leave Belarus later that day and return to Washington for several weeks, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Ihar Rynkevich, a former lawyer for imprisoned politician Alyaksandr Kazulin, told the broadcaster that Stewart announced her decision to civil society representatives. Stewart said that her trip will be short-term, and will not change her status as ambassador. Minsk recently recalled its ambassador to the United States, Mikhail Khvastou, for consultations in response to U.S. Treasury Department sanctions imposed in November 2007 on Belarus's largest petrochemical company, Belnaftakhim. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry also "urgently recommended" that Stewart leave Minsk "for the same purpose." The U.S. State Department said in a response that Wa

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/03/3-cee/cee-120308.asp

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