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Poland expels two Belarusian consuls in reciprocal move, says Deputy Foreign Minister

On March 11, Belarus announced its decision to expel consul general and consul from Grodno consulate, ordering them to leave country within 48 hours

© REUTERS/Mike Segar

WARSAW, 12 March. /TASS/. Poland expelled two Belarusian consuls in response to Minsk’s expulsion of two Polish diplomats working in Grodno, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said Friday.

"Due to continued unfriendly moves of Minsk towards Polish diplomats, based on the principle of reciprocity, Polish Foreign Ministry decided to expel the Belarusian consul general in Bialystok and Belarusian Consul at Warsaw mission," the official tweeted.

On March 9, the Polish charge d’affaires in Belarus Marcin Wojcieehowski was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, the Ministry stated its protest in regards to Poland’s consul in Brest Jerzy Timofeyuk’s participation in the unofficial event, dedicated "day of the cursed soldiers," which took place on February 28 in Brest.

The Foreign Ministry believes that the consul’s participation comprised a blatant violation of the international law, the Vienna Convention on consular relations in particular. In this regard, Timofeyuk was handed a diplomatic note offering the consul to leave country. In response, Poland declared Belarusian diplomat in Warsaw persona non grata.

On March 11, Belarus announced its decision to expel consul general and consul from Grodno consulate, ordering them to leave country within 48 hours.

"The cursed soldiers" were members of anti-Soviet and anti-Communist guerilla organizations in Poland in the late stages of the World War II and the following years. One of their "heroes," commemorated at the abovementioned event was Romuald Rajs, also known as Buriy - a war criminal, guilty of mass murder of civilians on the basis of nationality and religion.

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