Lifting U.S. sanctions is priority in relations with Washington - Minsk
MINSK. June 5 (Interfax) - Official Minsk said it was opposed to unilateral sanctions of the United States and supported stabilizing the Belarusian-U.S. relations.
"Lifting the sanctions is a priority issue in the agenda of the relations between Belarus and the U.S.," Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dmitry Mironchik said at a briefing in Minsk on Thursday.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry is working with the U.S. Department of State to stabilize the relations between the two countries, Mironchik said.
"The Belarusian-U.S. relations have difficult issues, on which the parties have principled stances. Belarus is opposed consistently and insistently to the application of unilateral economic sanctions of the U.S.," he said.
The U.S. sanctions regarding the Belarusian authorities were introduced by the George Bush administration in 2006. In particular, they stipulate blocking property and assets of ten Belarusian top officials, including President Alexander Lukashenko.
In 2008 the U.S. said that human rights were violated in Belarus and introduced sanctions regarding Belneftekhim. This led to a diplomatic conflict - Belarusian Ambassador to the U.S. Mikhail Khvostov was summoned from Washington for consultations and Minsk insisted that U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart leave Belarus. Belarus insisted that the number of U.S. diplomats in Minsk be cut from 35 to five.
Despite the sanctions, Belarus and the U.S. cooperate in spheres of mutual interest and ensuring global and regional security, Mironchik said. In particular, from 2004 Belarus allows using its air space and landing at Belarusian airports during flights to Afghanistan and cargo transit for the U.S. to Afghanistan is carried out via Belarus from January 2011.
Belarus and the U.S. cooperate in preventing illegal transit of nuclear materials, Mironchik said. "The cooperation of the two countries' law enforcement authorities assists solving certain international crimes, which inflict damage to personal and property safety of citizens of Belarus, the U.S. and other states," he said. At the same time, the U.S. supported Belarusian initiatives made in the UN aimed at fighting human trafficking and illegal organ trade, he said.
However, the issue of resumption of comprehensive work of the two countries' embassies remains open. This topic and appointing ambassadors were not raised at meeting between Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Eric Rubin held in Minsk on June 3, Mironchik said.
