USA to decide on Belarus sanctions after parliamentary elections - Charge d’Affaires
The current development of Belarus-US relations can hardly be considered as a reset, U.S. Charge d’Affaires Scott Rauland told state-run TV station Belarus 1 on Tuesday.
Although over the past few years the mutual relations have been far from perfection, they were not bad enough to use the word ‘reset’ now, the U.S. diplomat stressed.
Belarus seeking full-scale restoration of relations with USA (ENG subs):
According to Scott Rauland, the United States will remove sanctions only when Belarus demonstrates progress in the field of democracy and human rights. Therefore, the United States will assess the progress made on the results of the parliamentary elections which are to be held in September, 2016.
Although no country can boast of a perfect electoral system, it is necessary to strive for the ideal, the U.S. diplomat believes. In his opinion, the OSCE principles of accessing elections are ‘the golden standard for all’ adding that OSCE observers primarily pay attention to the transparency of elections.
On 29 April 2016, the United States extended the decision to ease sanctions against the Belarusian enterprises until October 31, 2016. The sanctions were imposed in connection with human rights violations in Belarus under President George W. Bush’s decree of 16 June 2006.
Read also: Russia’s airbase in Belarus may destabilize situation – Pentagon official
Due to restrictions imposed unilaterally by the Belarusian Government in 2008 on the number of U.S. diplomats allowed in Minsk, the American Embassy was forced to reduce its staff from 35 to five diplomats as well as withdraw its Ambassador. The number of U.S. diplomats was later increased to six in July 2014.
