MOSCOW, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 staff members of the United States embassy in Minsk left Belarus Saturday amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries, the Interfax news agency reported.
Cars carrying American diplomats crossed the Belarussian-Lithuanian border without problems, a U.S. embassy spokesman was quoted as saying.
Among the 11 diplomats, 10 were declared personae non gratae and were given 72 hours to leave Belarus on April 30 in an escalation of tensions between Belarus and the United States.
The other one who also left was one of the six Marines who guarded the embassy compound, the spokesman said.
The U.S. embassy is currently run by four diplomats, including Charge d' Affaires Jonathan Moore.
The United States said Thursday that it is considering a full range of options in response to the Belarus move to expel its diplomats but insisted that it has not made any formal decisions.
U.S.-Belarussian relations have been tense since Washington imposed new sanctions on Belarus' state-own oil company Belneftekhim last November.
Earlier, the U.S. embassy in Minsk had cut down its staff after Belarus recalled its ambassador and shrank its diplomatic mission in Washington.
U.S. diplomats to leave
Minsk
MOSCOW, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A group of staff members of
the United States embassy in Minsk will leave Belarus as advised by the
Belarussian Foreign Ministry, according to reports reaching here on Friday.
A total of 11 diplomats and marines protecting the
embassy will leave the country on Saturday, Itar-Tass cited an embassy sources.
Full story
Belarus requests U.S. diplomats to
leave
MOSCOW, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Belarus Wednesday
declared a number of U.S. diplomats unwelcome and requested them to leave the
former Soviet republic, Russian news agencies reported.
The Belarussian Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. charge
d'affaires Jonathan Moore Wednesday and asked the United States to cut its staff
to five plus the ambassador, the reports said. Full story
10 U.S. diplomats to leave Belarus,
says U.S. charge d'affaires
MOSCOW,
April 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. charge d'affaires in Belarus Jonathan Moore said
Wednesday that 10 U.S. diplomats will leave the former Soviet republic within 72
hours under the requests of Belarus' authorities, news agencies reported.
"We will do everything possible so that the U.S.
diplomats leave the country within the required time limit," Moore was quoted as
telling a news conference after being summoned to the Belorussian foreign
ministry. Full story
U.S. slams Belarus demand asking its
diplomats to leave
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States
said Wednesday the demand by Belarus to ask 10 diplomats of the U.S. embassy in
Minsk to leave in 72 hours is "unjustified and unwarranted."
"We told the Belarusians in private, and we will say
in public, that we believe that this action is unjustified and unwarranted,"
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Full story
