BELARUSAN GOVERNMENT THREATENS TO SEIZE DIPLOMATIC RESIDENCES.

The government of Belarus has given Western governments until today to commit themselves to removing all furnishings from the diplomatic residences in Minsk’s Drazdy compound. In case of noncompliance, Belarusan authorities will enter the diplomatic residences, remove the furnishings, and take control of the buildings. The warning was publicly disclosed yesterday by the U.S. State Department, a day before today’s deadline. Department spokesman James Rubin used the strongest terms in the diplomatic vocabulary to denounce Belarus’ escalating violation of the international conventions that guarantee the immunity of diplomatic premises. (AP, Reuter, July 7)

Last month, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka unilaterally declared the diplomatic residences to be Belarusan property, forcing most foreign envoys to vacate the premises. All ambassadors of non-CIS countries have since left Minsk in protest. Official Minsk’s new focus on “furnishings” suggests that it may not be above staging some “bugging” affair.

LEFTIST WINS UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT’S CHAIRMANSHIP.