‘US envoy’s arrival in Minsk may be question of days’. George Kent grants interview to Belsat

When will the United States impose sanctions on Belarusian officials involved in repressing dissidents, police violence, and rigging the latest presidential election? Can the US authorities invite Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya to visit the country? Is the USA ready to back the European countries’ initiative on creating an assistance package for a democratic Belarus?

Watch the video above and find the answers in the interview George P. Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of State and Head of the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs, granted to Belsat news show World and Us (Prasviet).

Talking to Belsat TV host Alina Koushyk, the top US diplomat who oversees policy towards, among others, Ukraine and Belarus has stated that even in today’s challenging situation the new US envoy’s arrival in Minsk may be a ‘question of days’.

A few days ago, Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee reported out President Trump nominee Julie Fisher to the entire Senate. “If the nomination is confirmed, we will be happy to send her to Minsk as soon as possible,” Kent said.

It should be noted that the two states recalled their ambassadors in 2008. In September 2019, the United States and Belarus voiced their decision to renew diplomatic representation.

According to George Kent, as the announcement of election results was fraudulent and cannot be considered a legitimate basis, US cannot consider Alyaksandr Lukashenka to be the legitimally elected president of Belarus. To move forward, the Belarusian people should have the opportunity to elect their leader in a free an fair election, under independent observation, he stressed.

The interview is part of World and Us episode aired on 24.09.2020

Belsat.eu