USA ready to revise the ban on issuing US visas to Alexander Lukashenko

The administration of George Bush reported about its intention to hold consultations with the European governments with a view to revising the issue of canceling restrictions on issuing visas to high-ranking representatives of the Belarussian government, introduced last month by the USA and the European Union's member countries. The report of the US State Department circulated in Washington stresses that the US administration welcomes the decision of the Belarussian authorities to resume the work of the OSCE mission in Minsk.

This is an important step towards restoring the efficient relations between Belarus and the OSCE, says the report which also expresses the hope that by resuming the work of the OSCE mission in Minsk Belarus shows its readiness to respect its international commitments and the striving of the Belarussian government to observe and respect the human rights in the country.

On November 26th, 2002, the US administration banned the issue of entry visas to Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko and to another seven high-ranking representatives of the Belarussian government. The report of the State Department concerning the ban said that the reason for its introduction was closing the OSCE mission in Minsk and the deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus.