Belarus wants U.S. embassy staff cut to seven

By Andrei Makhovsky

MINSK (Reuters) - Ex-Soviet Belarus, at odds with the United States over sanctions and human rights, said on Wednesday it had asked Washington for a new staffing cut of more than 50 percent at its Minsk embassy.

The U.S. ambassador left Belarus last month at the urging of authorities and the reduction is the second demanded by Minsk, which wants sanctions against Belarus dropped -- mainly measures against national oil products firm Belneftekhim.

Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Gaisyonok said Belarus had told Washington it wanted each side to have a diplomatic staff of seven. The earlier cut left staff at the Minsk embassy at 17.

"We would like to reduce the number of our diplomats, on a parity basis, according to the formula one plus six -- an ambassador and six diplomatic representatives," Gaisyonok told reporters outside parliament.

"We have so far received no reply from the embassy."

Belarus, he said, was waiting for a "full and unconditional lifting of sanctions against Belneftekhim. This is the sole basis for further discussion."

The U.S. embassy offered no immediate comment.

The United States and European Union have long imposed sanctions on Belarus, including an entry ban on President Alexander Lukashenko over human rights concerns.