11 American diplomats to leave Belarus 3 May

02.05.2008. Source: BelaPAN.

According to more accurate information, 3 May in the morning 11 American diplomats will leave Belarus. As BelaPAN was informed by the US Embassy, after their departure the Belarusian mission will consist of only four members including the chargé d'affaires (ad interim) Jonathan Moore.

Bear in mind that 30 April Mr. Moore was given the list of the American diplomats who were declared personae non-grata and were given 72 hours to leave the country. The relations between Belarus and the US became strained in March, when the official website of the US Ministry of Finances published the explanations to its sanctions, introduced in November 2007 against the Belnaftakhim oil concern. 7 March the Belarusian ambassador in the US Mikhail Khvastou was called to Belarus for consultations and 12 March the US ambassador Karen Stuart had to leave Minsk at the insistence of the Belarusian authorities. Then the American mission in Minsk was recommended to reduce the number of the office workers. As a result, 27 March 17 American diplomats had to leave Belarus and 15 were left to continue the work.