BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

30/06/2009

US must end sanctions to resume ties:Belarus leader

MINSK, June 30 (Reuters) - President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that U.S. sanctions against Belarus had to be rescinded before relations could be restored with Washington, including the return of its ambassador to Minsk.

Lukashenko, long accused of infringing human rights, has sought improved ties with the West since quarrelling with traditional ally Russia in 2007 over energy prices.

The European Union has responded by lifting an entry ban on the president and other officials, but U.S. punitive measures aimed at Belarussian companies have made relations with Washington tense. The U.S. ambassador was asked to leave Belarus in March 2008 and the post remains vacant.

"We are ready to return to a discussion on a complete restoration of a mutual diplomatic presence on condition that economic sanctions against our country be lifted in full," Lukashenko told a visiting U.S. Congressional delegation.

Belarus has offered several concessions in its drive to move closer to the West, including the release of detainees deemed political prisoners and the staging of an election declared to be an improvement over earlier contests.

In addition to lifting the visa ban, the EU has included Belarus in its "Eastern Partnership" scheme aimed at helping ex-communist countries. Belarus last week formally asked the 27-nation EU for financial assistance.

But U.S. economic sanctions, including a ban on operations with Belarussian oil company Belfneftkhim, remain in place.

"The election of (Barack) Obama has provided new opportunities for changing relations between our countries, said Senator Benjamin Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, and head of the delegation.

Relations with Washington are further complicated by U.S. demands for the release on health grounds of jailed lawyer Emmanuel Zeltser, convicted last year of industrial espionage.

Zeltser, who staged a hunger strike for a time this month, has said through his lawyer that he hopes to be freed through an amnesty. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky, writing by Ron Popeski)

Source:

http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINLU23969720090630

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