US warns Belarus it might have to close US missions

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States has warned Belarus it might close the US embassy in Minsk and make Belarus shut its US missions in an escalating row over alleged human rights abuses, a US official said Thursday.

A State Department official told reporters that Washington had made no decision, but was mulling such action after the US embassy in Minsk announced Wednesday it had been given 72 hours to bring home 10 US diplomats.

"We made it quite clear here and in Minsk that one of the options that was being considered, was simply to pull our remaining staff out and then require them to do the same," said the official who asked not to be named.

"That's not a decision we've made yet, but it is something we've warned them about," the official said.

Meanwhile, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey denied a report that the US had ordered Belarus to close its embassy in Washington and consulate in New York in response to its "unwarranted and unjustified" expulsion order.

He also denied that Washington will close its embassy in Minsk. "No," he replied to a question on each of the three reported moves.

Casey declined to say what Washington's options were.

"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," the deputy spokesman said.

"But at this point, we have not made any formal decisions to reduce staff beyond what this requirement has been" from Minsk, one that Washington will comply with, Casey said.

The State Department official who asked not to be named said "there is a real practical question as to whether you can effectively have, maintain, and run a diplomatic mission" with so few personnel left.

As the US ambassador Karen Stewart has already left the country, five US diplomats will be allowed to remain, including head of mission Jonathan Moore, the US embassy in Minsk said.

Belarus earlier reduced the embassy staff from 32 to 17 in protest at US economic sanctions against domestic oil monopoly Belneftekhim that Belarus says violate international law.

The Belarussian foreign ministry said Wednesday it had reduced diplomatic staff at its Washington embassy to six, including the ambassador, and was demanding the expulsions after the US embassy in Minsk failed to follow suit.

Washington imposed the sanctions to put pressure on the country's authoritarian leadership to allow democratic freedoms and release political prisoners.

President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron hand since 1994. He has been dubbed in Western capitals "Europe's last dictator."

Phone calls and emails made Thursday by AFP to Belarus's embassy here and its consulate in New York went answered.

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