US backs down on Belarus embassy closure
WASHINGTON (AP) - May 1, 2008 The State Department had planned to notify Belarus of the step,
which had been approved by Deputy Secretary of State John
Negroponte, in both Washington and Minsk. But officials said they
were instructed not to do so at the last minute. The change in plan
came as a meeting between U.S. and Belarusian diplomats was under
way, the officials said.
Instead, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the diplomats
had warned that such steps were possible as Washington continues to
explore ways to retaliate for Belarus' expulsion of most of the
U.S. Embassy staff in Minsk.
"We told them we would comply with the expulsion order and we
warned them that there is a range of actions that we can take,"
Casey said. "We have to consider whether, after drawing down our
staff, we can effectively operate there."
He would not elaborate on what measures might be taken.
But orders had been prepared to tell Belarus it had until May 16
to withdraw its six diplomats at its missions in Washington and New
York, officials said. At the same time, Belarus was to have been
told that the U.S. embassy in Minsk would shut down as early as
Friday, they said.
Planning for the closure of the Minsk Embassy has been under way
for some time and had reached the stage of securing a third country
to serve as a "protecting power" to represent U.S. in Belarus,
the officials said.