BELARUS DEMANDS EMBASSY CUT STAFF TO FIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000236

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/UMB, L, OFM
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2018
TAGS: AMGT BO CMGT OFDP PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: BELARUS DEMANDS EMBASSY CUT STAFF TO FIVE

REF: A. STATE 32535

B. MINSK 215 AND PREVIOUS

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


1. (C) As expected (refs A, B),Belarusian A/S-equivalent
MFA Americas Department Director Vadim Lazerko presented
Charge with a diplomatic note announcing that Belarus would
reduce its diplomatic presence in Washington and New York
to six (Ambassador plus five),and demanding that the U.S.
reduce its diplomatic presence in Minsk to the same level
by April 7, at 3:00 p.m. In the event the Embassy did not
confirm reduction of staff to the same level by April 7,
Lazerko warned that the MFA would reduce U.S. staff to five
by declaring excess American diplomats "persona non grata."
As in previous discussions, Lazerko claimed that this move
was
in accordance with Article 11 of the Vienna Convention and
was the direct result of the failure of the USG to make
progress in reducing economic sanctions against Belarus.


2. (C) Charge told Lazerko that he would convey the
contents of these notes to Washington and would await
instructions. Charge noted that the Belarusian demands were
cause for grave concern and warned that there would be
consequences: the Belarusian authorities were making a big
mistake by demanding additional staff cuts. Charge also
protested the harassment that departing Embassy personnel
had faced from state media and the KGB at Minsk International
Airport, noting that Belarusian diplomats would not face such
intrusions into their privacy upon their departure from the
U.S.

Lazerko Passes Notes on Restrictions, Complaints
-------------- ---


3. (C) In addition to the note on staff cuts, Lazerko
presented Charge with two additional diplomatic notes.
The first outlined the procedures required for U.S. diplomats
to request meetings with state bodies or to inform the MFA
on travel outside of Minsk. According to these procedures,
meetings must be requested no fewer than ten business days
in advance and all travel further than 40 km outside the
center of Minsk must be reported to the MFA 24 hours in
advance with all travel details included. The second note
contained a formal complaint about the contents of a March
27 interview Ambassador Stewart gave to European Radio for
Belarus. Lazerko called Ambassador's remarks a defamation
of the head of state and unacceptable. (Note: Post will
transmit copies of all three diplomatic notes and Embassy
translations of same to the Department. End note.)


4. (C) In response to these points, the Charge defended the
remarks made by Ambassador Stewart in her interview and
underscored that she remains post's Chief of Mission.
Furthermore, he told Lazerko that Washington would impose
reciprocal limits on the travel of Belarusian diplomats
in the U.S.

Comment
--------------


5. (C) These demands came as no surprise, as the Charge had
been briefed about the demands in advance by Presidential
Administration Foreign Policy Advisor Valentin Rybakov (ref
B).
The fact that Lazerko asked for consideration for a
Belarusian diplomat in Washington whose wife had recently
been operated on leads us to believe that the GOB may indeed
attempt to operate in Washington and New York with just five
diplomats, at least for a time.
MOORE