Estonia blasts Belarus’ decision to slash embassy staff

September 23, BPN. The Estonian foreign minister has strongly criticized Belarus’ decision to reduce embassy staff to two.

The decision makes it even clearer that the Belarusian regime has a criminal face, Urmas Reinsalu said, as quoted by the Estonian foreign office website.

“Estonia will always support the democratic aspirations of the opposition and civil society in Belarus to make sure the violations of human rights and international law do not go unnoticed,” he said.

He added that the regime was complicit in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“This is why we must ramp up the sanctions against the regime, continue isolating the country internationally and work towards legal accountability because the Łukašenka regime must not feel it has impunity,” Reinsalu said.

On September 23, Belarus said it was recalling its ambassador to Estonia for consultations.

It requested the Estonian government reduce diplomatic presence in Belarus to one consular officer and one administrator.

“Similarly, the Belarusian side will reduce its diplomatic presence in Estonia,” the Belarusian foreign ministry said.

Estonia does not have an ambassador in Minsk and is represented by a chargé d’affaires.