Nikita Belenchenko. Screenshot of the video
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"On Point"
MINSK, 25 March (BelTA) – Nikita Belenchenko, Director of the Center for International Studies of the Faculty of International Relations at Belarusian State University, spoke about what the possible reopening of the U.S. embassy in Belarus could mean for bilateral relations between Minsk and Washington in the latest episode of V Teme [On Point] on BelTA’s YouTube channel.
“Restoring embassy operations is of the utmost importance. You cannot build proper relations without a functioning diplomatic mission. And having a diplomatic mission operating at full capacity is an essential step,” Nikita Belenchenko said.
To back up his point, the expert gave the following example. When relations between countries reach a new level, the first step is the opening of diplomatic missions. After that, the parties may move on to issues such as lifting visa restrictions. Typically, this begins with diplomatic and service passports, after which visa restrictions can also be removed for ordinary citizens.
“This is a systematic and long-term process. A good example is interaction with the People’s Republic of China. We see that citizens of the two countries can travel freely,” Nikita Belenchenko emphasized.
The expert also highlighted the importance of having a fully staffed diplomatic mission. “A full staff means having counsellors who deal with matters of economic and political cooperation. In other words, they manage specific areas of work. They meet with Department of State officials, gather the relevant issues, and pass them along to Belarus for further action,” the expert said.
Nikita Belenchenko also spoke about the role of ambassadors in relations between countries. Essentially, an ambassador is a representative of a particular country who is appointed directly by the head of state. In the case of the United States, the head of the diplomatic mission would be perceived in Washington as a person who has direct communication with the leadership of Belarusian ministries and agencies. Moreover, the U.S. ambassador would have the opportunity to meet with the Belarusian president, as other accredited diplomats do.
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