The United States has not suspended the approval process for the next ambassador to Belarus, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) The United States has not suspended the approval process for the next ambassador to Belarus, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters.
"We have not suspended that process," Biegun said during a conference call on Friday.
President Donald Trump nominated Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Europe and the European Union Julie Fisher to be the next US ambassador to Belarus.
Biegun confirmed that Fisher continues to go through approval process.
"We believe it is important... to have a representative in Belarus that can give a voice to the policy of the United States and strongly represent the values and interests that we believe are important to address in our relations with Belarus," Biegun said.
A number of US politicians have called on the US Senate to delay Fisher's confirmation due to the unrest in Belarus after the presidential election in August.
Diplomatic relations between the United States and Belarus deteriorated in 2008 when both countries recalled their respective ambassadors. Recently, the two countries have made efforts to improve relations culminating in the visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Minsk in February.
In July, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Kravchenko to be the country's ambassador to the United States.
