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The US Senate approved the candidacy of Fisher as new ambassador to Minsk

The US Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved the candidacy of American diplomat Julie Fisher for the post of new ambassador to Minsk. The meeting was broadcast on the website of the upper house of the American legislature. Fischer’s candidacy was approved unanimously.

US Senate

Fisher will be the first American diplomat in Belarus since 2008. Her candidacy was submitted to the Senate in early May by President Donald Trump.

Fisher previously worked as US Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO. Also in her professional biography is work at US embassies in Tbilisi, Kiev and Moscow. The diplomat speaks Russian, French and slightly Georgian.

In mid-September, First Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Bigen said the United States did not plan to refuse to send its new ambassador to Belarus, despite Washington’s current sharp criticism regarding Minsk and the demand for new elections in the republic.

Fisher herself at the hearings of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, which took place before August 9 and the events following the election, stated that the United States needed an open dialogue with representatives of various levels and branches of government, although “Belarus has one person whose opinion means the most.”.

The deadlines for sending Fisher to Minsk have not yet been reported.

 

Relations between Belarus and the USA

Recall that in Belarus and the USA since 2008 there are no ambassadors. Their places are occupied by temporary attorneys.

After the US imposed sanctions on the Belneftekhim concern, Belarusian Ambassador Mikhail Khvostov was recalled from Washington for consultations, and Ambassador Karen Stewart left Minsk at the insistence of the Belarusian side. The number of American diplomats in the republic at the insistence of the Belarusian side was reduced from 35 to five. Gradually, the staff of American diplomats was expanded to 10 people.

In March 2019, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei notified the American side of lifting restrictions on the number of American diplomats.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo during his visit to Minsk on February 1, 2020 stated that the United States would soon appoint an ambassador to Belarus.

On February 3, US media named after a diplomat who could lead the US Embassy in Belarus after a 12-year hiatus, Julie Fisher, who now holds the post of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Europe and the EU.

On February 4, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said that Belarus is ready in the near future – within a few months – to send its ambassador to the United States.

On July 20, it became known that Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Kravchenko was appointed Ambassador of Belarus to the United States.

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