From the DW:
“US, Belarus plan to restore
ambassadors after 11-year freeze”
The rapprochement comes as
Belarus seeks to ease its isolation in the West and balance its close ties with
Russia. The US and Belarus withdrew their ambassadors in 2008. US Undersecretary of State for Political
Affairs David Hale met with President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday in the
Belarusian capital Minsk as the two sides look to patch up relations. "Our
meeting today marks an historic juncture in US–Belarus relations," the
United States' number three diplomat said. "It is my honor to announce
that we are prepared to exchange ambassadors as the next step in normalizing
our relationship." The United States recalled its ambassador to Minsk in
2008 after the former Soviet state ordered a reduction of diplomatic staff at
the US Embassy in response to sanctions leveled by Washington against Belarus
over its human rights record. Since then, both countries' embassies have been
led by chargés d'affaires.
East and west
Often called "Europe's last
dictatorship," Belarus has been targeted by Western sanctions over the
country's poor human rights record and lack of free elections. But Lukashenko
has sought to build better relations with the United States and European Union
as he seeks to manage relations with Russia while easing its isolation in the
West. Washington and the European Union eased sanctions on Minsk in 2016. Artyom
Shraibman wrote last year for the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank that
Belarus is increasingly "pursuing a balanced, multivectored foreign
policy" that seeks to balance ties between Russia and the West.
Belarus: Life in the Forbidden
Zone
Russia and Belarus formed a
nominal "union" in 1996 and have close economic and military
cooperation, but they continue have disputes over energy prices and import
duties. The 65-year-old Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President
Vladimir Putin, but he has sought to preserve Belarus' sovereignty and
independence at a time Russia is pressing for even closer ties between the two
sides. Meanwhile, the United States has sought to reduce Russia's influence
over its neighbors. Hale said the United
States was not asking Belarus "to choose between East and West" and
respected the country's desire to "chart its own course."
What is Zapad?
Zapad, which means
"west" in Russian, is a joint military drill conducted by the Russian
and Belarussian armies along Russia's northwestern border with Europe, which is
also NATO territory. The 2017 exercise, which takes place from September 14 to
20, is one of Russia's four annually rotating regional training operations that
tests military strategy and troop preparedness by simulating war. The
US-Belarus rapprochement comes as Russia has increased pressure on Lukashenko
to deepen ties between Minsk and Moscow. There has also been speculation that Putin may
consider reviving the Union State of Russia and Belarus project as a means to
extend his presidency. He is currently constitutionally barred from seeking a
third consecutive term in 2024, but serving as leader of a new, unified
Belarusian and Russian state could be a way to skirt that limitation. Lukashenko
has dismissed talk of a unified state.
^ I hope that the return of
Ambassadors between Belarus and the US will help the people in both countries.
I hope it will bring more American investment and tourism to Belarus, that it
will allow more Belarussians to come and study or visit the US and that it means
a better country for the Belarussians inside Belarus. I met 2 Belarussians when
I worked at the Summer camp for the mentally in physically disabled in New York
my first of four Summers I worked there and became close friends with one of
them even after they returned to Belarus. I also met many ethnic Belarussians
when I lived in Russia. The people I met were all nice and friendly (even to
Americans) and so I hope this diplomatic opening will do good for those
Belarussians that are staying within Belarus. ^
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