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.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article