1998 press releases

Refutation of Lukashenko Remarks (July 24, 1998)

The United States is disturbed by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko's statement that the U.S. is threatening to break diplomatic relations with Belarus if we are not allowed to post Marine security guards at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in the Drozdy compound. The statement is a misrepresentation of the U.S. position. The United States has not threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Belarus, nor have we demanded that the Embassy be allowed to post U.S. Marines at our residence in Drozdy.

We have demanded that we be allowed to return our own guards at the residence, where they were until June 22, when the government of Belarus forced our ambassador to vacate his residence in Drozdy in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Until that time, the Embassy employed unarmed Belarusian guards to stand watch at the residence.

Moreover, we are concerned about another recent statement attributed to President Lukashenko, in which he reportedly insinuated that our visa restrictions against Belarusian officials will result in Belarusian children being denied medical treatment in the United States and Europe. Nothing could be further from the truth. We remain deeply committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of the Chornobyl nuclear accident.  We will continue to facilitate the travel of Belarusian children to the United States for recuperation and to provide medical and other aid to Belarus.

We call upon the government of Belarus to refrain from statements that misrepresent the U.S. position and the facts and to resolve the Drozdy issue in a way that respects its obligations under international law.