Ministry of Foreign Affairs limits Belarusian Embassy staff in Ukraine to 5

Olha Hlushchenko – Friday, 25 March 2022, 06:33

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has limited the number of staff at the Belarusian Embassy in Ukraine to 5.

Source: Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, cited in Ukrinform

According to Nikolenko: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has sent an official note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus on the decision by Ukraine to limit the staff of the Belarusian Embassy in Ukraine to five.

Diplomatic accreditation of the remaining employees of the Belarusian Embassy has been revoked, they and their families have been declared personae non gratae in Ukraine.

Such decisions are the response of our state to the unfriendly actions of Belarus against the staff of Ukraine’ diplomatic missions in Minsk and Brest."

Details: Nikolenko added that after the return of Belarusian diplomats to Ukraine under the principle of reciprocity, a permit regime will be established for them to move outside the 40-kilometre zone from the centre of Kyiv.

In accordance with Article 25 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also withdrew the exequatur of the Honorary Consul of Belarus in Lviv.

The ministry also warned the Belarusian authorities that any further hostile steps against Ukraine would be met with a decisive response.