CHARGE DELIVERS RESPONSE ON STAFF CUTS TO MFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000208

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/UMB, CA, L
DEPT PAS USAID

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2018
TAGS: PREL ODIP CASC OFDP PHUM AMGT CMGT BO
SUBJECT: CHARGE DELIVERS RESPONSE ON STAFF CUTS TO MFA

REF: A. STATE 30036

B. GEE-MOORE 3/22/08 EMAIL

C. MINSK 163

D. MINSK 199 (AND PREVIOUS)

E. MINSK 204 (AND PREVIOUS)

Classified By: DCM Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).

Charge Delivers Official Response to Staff Cut Demands
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1. (C) Charge delivered ref A points and the ref B list of
17 U.S. diplomatic staff to remain in Belarus to MFA
A/S-equivalent Americas Department Director Amb. Vadim
Lazerko March 24. Charge noted that the USG's decision to
accede to Belarusian demands to cut staff was made
reluctantly and he reiterated that the demands themselves
were inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations (VCDR). Charge added that this step had been taken
because the USG believed it was important for the U.S. to
retain a diplomatic presence in Belarus and for Belarus to
maintain such a presence in the U.S.; he said that the U.S.
would welcome the return of Belarusian Ambassador Khvostov to
Washington and of the U.S. Ambassador to Minsk. Briefly
raising the sensational anti-American coverage of the Embassy
on state television March 23 (septel),Charge told Lazerko
that diplomatic dialogue was the best means to convey
messages of GOB concern.

MFA Rep Rejects U.S. VCDR Protests, Asks About Visas
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2. (C) Lazerko disputed the U.S. contention that Belarus'
request to cut diplomatic staff was in contravention of the
VCDR and stated that the reasons Belarus had taken such a
step (U.S. sanctions on the Belarusian petrochemical
conglomerate Belneftekhim; ref C) were well known to the
American side. Lazerko promised to convey the list further
within the GOB.


3. (C) Lazerko inquired if it was true that the U.S. Embassy
would resume visa processing March 25. Charge replied that
the Embassy was prepared to process emergency visas at this
time, and a return to regular visa processing would hopefully
take place this week or next week. Charge added that the
primary reason for the temporary suspension of visa
processing was to permit embassy staff to prepare to depart
Belarus in response to MFA demands.

Charge Restates Protest of Lack of Consular Access to AMCIT
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4. (C) As the meeting was concluding, Charge repeated once
again his strong protests over lack of consular access to
Emanual Zeltser, an AMCIT held in BKGB detention for 12 days
without seeing an American consul (refs D, E). Charge noted
that he had met with both the Head of the MFA's Consular
Department Giro and his deputy, but that consular access to
Zeltser still had not been facilitated. Lazerko promised to
raise this point once again with MFA leadership.

Comment
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5. (C) Lazerko accepted the news that the USG had agreed to
reduce the number of diplomats serving in Minsk without
particular comment or enthusiasm. He gave no indication,
however, if this would conclude Belarus' response to U.S.
sanctions, or if more steps were coming. In no sense a
decision maker, it is entirely likely that Lazerko is not
even privy to such information.
MOORE