Minsk - Belarus has decided to accredit the Swedish charge d'affaires after diplomatic consultations, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told Interfax.
“Two rounds of consultations between the foreign ministries initiated by Sweden resulted in the Belarusian decision to grant the Swedish request for accreditation of the Swedish charge d’affaires in Minsk,” ministry information department deputy head Maria Vanshina said.
Belarus expects the Swedish diplomat to act “in full compliance with provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and promote the use of the substantial potential of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, humanitarian and personal contacts, environmental interaction and technical assistance,” the Belarusian Foreign Ministry representative said.
It has been reported that Sweden is going to reopen its Embassy in Belarus soon. It will send the charge d’affaires to Minsk.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt tweeted they were sending the charge d’affaires to lead the embassy in Minsk upon the settlement of certain difficulties.
A light civilian plane piloted by Swedish subjects entered into Belarusian airspace from Lithuania and airdropped teddy bears over Minsk and Ivenets, Minsk region, in an appeal for freedom of press on July 4, 2012.
Former Swedish Ambassador to Minsk Stefan Eriksson had to leave Belarus on August 3 on the formal grounds of the denied extension of his accreditation. The Swedish Foreign Ministry said the ambassador was expelled by Belarus and refused to accept the new Belarusian ambassador. Also two senior Belarusian diplomats were offered to leave Sweden. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry recalled its embassy from Stockholm on August 8 and offered employees of the Swedish Embassy in Minsk to leave before August 30.
