OREANDA-NEWS. The work of the General Consulate of Belarus in New York was completed a day ahead of schedule. The decision was made by the Council of Ministers of the country. The decision document was published on Wednesday, October 20, on the national legal Internet portal.

"To close the Consulate General of the Republic of Belarus in New York (United States of America) until October 20, 2021," the document says.

The Consulate General previously announced that it will stop working on 21 in connection with a demand from the American authorities. The diplomatic mission added that the citizens of Belarus living in the consular district, after the closure of the consulate general, will be able to contact the embassy located in Washington.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply in the summer of 2020. The suppression of protest actions against the background of the presidential elections in Belarus caused a sharply negative assessment from the American government.

On August 11, 2021, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry revoked the previously issued consent to the appointment of Julie Fisher as US Ambassador to Minsk. In addition, the department proposed to Washington to reduce the number of the embassy to five people by September 1.

At the same time, there has been no American ambassador to Belarus since 2008. Representatives of the two countries were headed by temporary attorneys. The sides recalled the ambassadors after the sanctions imposed on Minsk.