BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/04/2008

Belarus to Expel More US Diplomats

MINSK, April 24--The Belarus government has ordered the United States to further cut its embassy staff in protest against sanctions on a Belarusian petrochemical company.

A US Embassy source said that the Belarusian Foreign Ministry had summoned the US charge d'affaires in Belarus, Jonathan Moore, and told him that the ministry wants the embassy to present by April 30 a list of five diplomats who will remain in the country.

Moore warned the ministry that such a step could have serious consequences, the source said.

Tensions between the two countries heightened after Washington imposed sanctions last November against Belarus' state-controlled petrochemical company Belneftekhim and froze the assets of its US subsidiary.

American companies were banned from dealing with the company.

The foreign ministry said it had told the US ambassador to "carry out the recommendation of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on mutual cuts of the American diplomatic presence in Minsk and that of Belarus in Washington."

In March, Belarus had already ordered a cut from 32 to 17 at the US Embassy in protest at economic sanctions imposed over human rights disputes. US ambassador, Karen Stewart, was also asked to leave.

Belarus says that US sanctions against domestic oil monopoly Belneftekhim violate international law.

Washington imposed the sanctions on foreign assets of Belneftekhim to put pressure on the country's leadership to impose political changes and release political prisoners.

Source:

http://www.alalam.ir/english/en-NewsPage.asp?newsid=032030120080424173346

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