Some Ukrainian diplomats asked to leave Belarus
28 March 2022, 13:27
In this regard, a decision was taken to close the Consulate General of Ukraine in Brest. The Ukrainian Embassy will continue to work in Belarus in the 1+4 format: the ambassador and four employees.
"In full compliance with Article 11 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Republic of Belarus has decided to reduce the number of Ukrainian diplomats on its territory," Anatoly Glaz said.
This step, according to him, is aimed at stopping non-diplomatic activities of a number of employees of the Ukrainian foreign missions. "They have been asked to leave our country within 72 hours," Anatoly Glaz said. The diplomatic staff [1 +s 4 format] can safely continue their work in accordance with the objectives defined by the Vienna Convention.
"In connection with the actual absence of personnel, Belarus has also decided to close the consulate of Ukraine in the city of Brest. I would like to emphasize once again that Ukrainians have been our kin people and will remain so," Anatoly Glaz said.
He also clarified that Belarus did not close its embassy in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed to numerous unfriendly actions of Ukraine aimed at irresponsible destruction of interstate relations with Belarus, business contacts and long-established ties between people since 2020.
“It came to the point that the Ukrainian authorities began to interfere, directly an indirectly, in the internal affairs of Belarus. Back in 2021, they called Belarus was an hostile country at a high official level,” Anatoly Glaz noted.
In his words, unfortunately, these statements were followed by a number of destructive actions: “It is enough to recall that as part of the illegal air blockade Ukraine was the only one of all the acceding countries that did not allow even an evacuation aircraft with Belarusian citizens on board to fly through its territory. I emphasize that all this was done actively and loudly in relation to Belarus that did not take a single anti-Ukrainian step even in the most difficult times.”
Against this background, the Belarusian side found out that some employees of the Embassy and Consulate General of Ukraine in Belarus were doing things incompatible with diplomatic status. This activity kept gaining momentum.
“The Ukrainian people remain a brotherly nation for us, and Ukraine remains our neighbor under any circumstances. This principle underpinned the restrained response of the Belarusian side that counted on good judgment of the other side. We cannot comprehend the recent actions of the Ukrainian authorities in relation to innocent Belarusian citizens who found themselves in the conflict zone against their will. Confiscation of property, boorish treatment of Belarusian diplomats and their families at the Mogilev-Podolsky checkpoint - all these are cynical attempts to incite hatred between peoples, and to extend political strife to ordinary people. We will never allow this to happen,” he said.
