EU envoys returning to Belarus after spat over human rightsApril 25, 2012 - 18:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Britain is sending its ambassador back to Belarus in line with a similar move by other European Union governments, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, April 25 following a diplomatic spat with the former Soviet republic over human rights, Reuters reported. EU states withdrew their ambassadors from Minsk in February in a solidarity gesture after Belarus told representatives from Brussels and Warsaw to leave. Earlier, the bloc had tightened sanctions against the country. "All EU ambassadors are returning to Minsk, including our own ambassador," a spokesman for Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office told Reuters, without giving exact details of when the representative would return. The 27-member bloc ordered their envoys home on February 28 after relations with Minsk soured following President Alexander Lukashenko's crackdown on the opposition after his re-election for a fourth term in December 2010. Earlier this month Lukashenko pardoned a key political prisoner and his former rival in the race for presidency, Andrei Sannikov, a move long urged by the EU. Poland, Lithuania and Sweden sent their representatives back to Minsk on Wednesday. "Other ambassadors will return over the next hours and days," Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesman Marcin Bosacki said. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |