Only one Estonian diplomat and one employee of the technical staff must remain at the Estonian embassy in Minsk from 1 October. The corresponding requirement in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus was explained by the “disrespectful attitude (of the Estonian leadership.— “uh”) to the sovereignty of our country.” The Belarusian side, as specified, is ready to consider the restoration of full-fledged diplomatic cooperation after Estonia returns to a “mutually respectful dialogue.”
“In the context of the disrespectful attitude to the sovereignty of our country on the part of the Estonian leadership, the Republic of Belarus … does not see the point of a wide diplomatic presence of Estonia on its territory … In this regard, the staff of the embassy of this country from October 1, 2022 should be reduced to one diplomatic officer to perform consular functions and one employee of the administrative and technical staff,” the message says on site Foreign Ministry of the Republic.
Triin Hiesalu, Chargé d’Affaires of Estonia in Belarus, was summoned for consultations at the country’s Foreign Ministry. Similarly, the Belarusian side also plans to reduce its diplomatic presence in Estonia.
On October 8, 2020, Estonia recalled the ambassador from Belarus “in solidarity with Lithuania and Poland.” The reduction of the diplomatic representation of Western countries in Belarus began in 2020 against the background of the suppression of protests in the republic caused by the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko for a sixth term.