The Belarusian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that it had a number of telephone conversations with the US State Department during which the sides discussed bilateral relations, but refused to disclose any further details following media reports claiming that Minsk had decided to remove the limit on the number of US diplomatic workers allowed in Belarus
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2019) The Belarusian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that it had a number of telephone conversations with the US State Department during which the sides discussed bilateral relations, but refused to disclose any further details following media reports claiming that Minsk had decided to remove the limit on the number of US diplomatic workers allowed in Belarus.The Foreign Policy journal reported, citing two diplomatic sources, that Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei informed US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell in a phone call on Thursday that Minsk had lifted a long-standing cap on the number of US diplomats allowed to work in the country. A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.
"We can confirm that several telephone conversations have recently been held between the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US State Department. According to the diplomatic ethics, the details of such conversations are not disclosed," ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said, as quoted by the Belta news agency, adding that the phone talks focused on bilateral relations.
In 2006, the United States and the European Union imposed travel restrictions and financial sanctions on a number of Belarusian state-owned entities and individuals, including President Alexander Lukashenko, after a presidential election which Washington said "violated international norms."
In 2008, Minsk expelled the US ambassador and 30 out of 35 US diplomatIc workers after Washington tightened sanctions due to "worsening human rights abuses" in Belarus.
