MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2020) Belorussian Ambassador to Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay Vladimir Astapenko submitted his resignation for the second time, refusing to work for Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko. news agency tut.by reported on Wednesday.
"After the inauguration [of Lukashenko], on September 23, I submitted an application for dismissal from my post by agreement of the parties in accordance with paragraph 1 of the second part of article 35 of the labor code of the Belorussian Republic. I did not receive any reaction to this. Now I have withdrawn this application and on October 27 I submitted a new one," Astapenko said.
According to the Belorussian diplomat, the new application allows the ambassador to be freed from his position under article 41, "due to violation of the legislation by the employer that hinders the performance of my work in accordance with the employment contract".
Astapenko is a former vice foreign minister of Belarus and he has worked at several embassies. In 2018 he was appointed ambassador of Belarus to Argentina and lately to Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
After the presidential elections held in Belarus in August, several diplomats, including ambassadors, lost their posts, having expressed their concerns about the results of the elections.
