U.S. Ambassador in Belarus Karen Stewart seen after her arrival in Minsk, Belarus, in this Sept.18, 2006 file photo.
Photo: AP, AP
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Ambassador of Evil Will
The Belarus Ambassador to the United States Mikhail Khvostov had been recalled to Minsk over additional sanctions that Washington imposed on Belneftekhim consortium. Minsk urged Washington to follow the example, to no avail though. In the United States, they reasoned they need Ambassador Karen Stewart in Belarus to defend rights of political prisoners.
Therefore, today’s intrigue is whether official Belarus will take additional actions to force the U.S. ambassador out of the country. Alexander Lukashenko promised troubles to Karen Stewart far back in 2007, after the ambassador warned December 13, 2007 that Washington was elaborating new sanctions against one of the budget-forming enterprises of Belarus – Belneftekhim and its affiliates.
Lukashenko blamed impending new sanctions on December launch of Belarus-Venezuela venture. The company is expected to annually produce 7 million tons of oil in Guara Este field, Venezuela, with Belarus getting 40 percent of it and 60 percent going to Venezuela.
Stewart’s forecast materialized March 6, when the United States toughened the sanctions imposed on Belneftekhim in the fall of 2007. Nowadays, the sanctions extend to all petro-chemical enterprises of Belarus with the government’s share above 50 percent, while the previous ban had hit only the consortium, its offices and overseas subsidiaries.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 11, 2008
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