United States Ambassador to Belarus

Ambassador of the United States to Belarus
Пасол Злучаных Штатаў у Беларусі

Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Scott Rauland
as Chargé d’Affaires
since 2014
Nominator Barack Obama
Inaugural holder David Heywood Swartz
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Formation August 11, 1992
Website U.S. Embassy - Minsk

The United States Ambassador to Belarus is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Belarus.

Until 1991 the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a constituent SSR of the Soviet Union. Upon the breakup of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of Belarus declared itself independent of the Soviet Union on August 25, 1991, and renamed itself the Republic of Belarus on September 19, 1991. The United States recognized Belarus December 26, 1991. An embassy was established in the capital, Minsk, on January 31, 1992, with John Ford as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Relations between the United States and Belarus have been continuous since that time.

The U.S. Embassy in Belarus is located in Minsk. As of March 12, 2008, when Ambassador Karen Stewart was formally recalled for consultations, there has been no U.S. Ambassador in Minsk. All but five U.S. diplomats were declared persona non grata on April 30, 2008.

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d'affaires.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". See ad interim.

Notes

  1. ↑ During his tenure, Ambassador Speckhard was recalled for one year because of a dispute between the government and Western embassies over the confiscation of diplomatic residences. "Background Note: Belarus". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  2. ↑ "Belarus". U. S. Department of State. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  3. ↑ Ambassador Stewart was "recalled for consultations" at the request of the government of Belarus on March 12, 2008. Sources: The New York Times: "U.S. Cuts Embassy Staff ", Moscow Times: "U.S. Ambassador Leaving Belarus"
  4. ↑ "Background Note: Belarus". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  5. ↑ Chief of Mission | Minsk, Belarus - Embassy of the United States

See also

References

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