BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

02/05/2008

US State Dept Daily Press Briefing: May 1, 2008

BELARUS

Belarus Declares U.S. Diplomats Persona Non Grata

Meetings and Discussions with Belarusians

Full Range of Options Considered for U.S. and Belarusian Diplomatic Presence

No Formal Decision to Reduce U.S. Staff Beyond Belarusian's Request

Status of Belarusian Embassy and Consulate in the U.S.

Number of Staff at U.S. Embassy in Belarus

Diplomatic Relations with Belarus Not Cut Off

12:52 p.m. EDT

MR. CASEY: Okay. Good afternoon, guys. How are you doing? Don't have anything to start you with, so, gee, Sue, I think I know, but why don't you go ahead.

QUESTION: Well, do you have anything on -- there's apparently a U.S. decision to close Belarus's embassy in Washington, consular office in New York, and also to close your embassy in Belarus.

MR. CASEY: Yeah -- I think there's been some confusion on this point in terms of what actions the U.S. has or hasn't taken on this, so let me just tell you where we are. As you know, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told our Charge yesterday that a number of American diplomats, ten, to be exact, have been declared persona non grata. For those of you that are not familiar with the term of art, that's basically a "you're not wanted here, time to go home" order. They were asked to leave Minsk within 72 hours. And since that constitutes a formal demand for our diplomats to leave, we're going to comply with that deadline given to us.

That means, I should note, that we are having a reduction, really, of 30 diplomats, just in the month of March, if you include in this latest demand. And this is -- it's an unwarranted and unjustified action. It is something that is being done solely as a result of the U.S. support for democracy and human rights activists in Belarus. And it's unfortunate because, frankly, what it mainly does is serves to further isolate Belarus and take Belarus further away from its own stated objectives, which is to be engaged and be a full participant in the international community.

In terms of our discussions with the Belarusians on this, we have met with them today, both here in Washington as well as in Minsk, and we have told them what I have told you, that these actions that they have taken are thoroughly unjustified and unwarranted. We -- while we will comply with the requirement for our diplomats to depart, we strongly object to this measure. There is no justification for it. And we have to consider, then, how we are going to be able to conduct diplomatic functions in Belarus after that point.

There certainly are a number of steps and we have told them that we are considering the full range of options in terms of our respective diplomatic presences. But at this point, we have not made any formal decisions to reduce staff beyond what this requirement has been because of their decision to PNG our personnel.

QUESTION: Okay. So a straight up and down answer, please. Have you decided to shut down the embassy in Belarus, number one?

MR. CASEY: No.

QUESTION: No. Number two, has --

MR. CASEY: Was that straight enough?

QUESTION: That was straight enough.

MR. CASEY: I just wanted to check. Okay.

QUESTION: Yeah. And then also, have you told the Belarusians that they must -- (1) close down their embassy in Washington, yes or no?

MR. CASEY: No.

QUESTION: And their consulate in New York?

MR. CASEY: No.

QUESTION: So that is incorrect?

MR. CASEY: No -- as I said, we have told them that we have very serious concerns about this step that they have taken, and that means we need to think very carefully about our future and their future diplomatic presence in our respective countries. But we have not made any decisions at this point.

QUESTION: Under consideration, is a tit-for-tat decision being taken to ask them to reduce the number of diplomats? Have you asked them to reduce the diplomats by the same number -- what was it you said --

MR. CASEY: Well, they -- we have -- they reduced our total number of six, as a result of certain requirements out there, in terms of the way our staffing works, including the Marine security guards and other people. That effectively, will leave us with four individuals that have not been PNGed, left in the country. Their total numbers between New York and Washington, Gonzo, are --

MR. GALLEGOS: Are six.

MR. CASEY: Are six, so, in effect, they were taking -- in PNGing our people, they were bringing us down to the level that they had already unilaterally reduced their staff to. Now again, at this point, I'm not saying that there will not be further action. There are probably some other shoes that will drop in this process. But at this point, we have not made a decision to formally ask them or informally ask them to reduce staff further.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Just - can I ask one on this? But you've warned them that this is a distinct possibility, is that correct?

MR. CASEY: Well, we've warned them that there is a range of actions that we can take. We've warned them that by PNGing this extensive portion of our staff, they are making it very hard for us to be able to have a functioning mission in that country and that that may require some additional actions.

QUESTION: But you're not removing the other six or four, because two are probably Marines, but --

MR. CASEY: Well, it will -- effectively, the result of them PNGing us will leave us with four people there. And no, at this point, they are still in-country, and we do not have immediate plans to remove them.

QUESTION: So there's no intention at the moment to cut off diplomatic relations with Belarus?

MR. CASEY: No.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. CASEY: Okay. Let's go here.

Source:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00030.htm

Google