2020-10-09 19:24 update: 2020-10-10, 17:21
Marcin Przydacz. Photo PAP/Leszek Szymański
Over 30 Polish diplomats were set to leave Belarus on Friday after Poland and Lithuania decided to recall their ambassadors from Minsk a week before, Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said on Friday afternoon.
Minsk had asked Polish and Lithuanian embassies to limit their personnel as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accuses Warsaw and Vilnius of interfering with his country and supporting protesters who say the recent presidential election was rigged.
"The limitation of Polish personnel is an unfriendly gesture to which Poland will respond at an appropriate time and in an appropriate way," Przydacz said.
Przydacz said Germany, Latvia, Sweden, the Czech Republic and several other countries had also recalled their ambassadors for consultation.
The Polish deputy minister said Belarus's decision will negatively affect Belarusians who seek Polish and Schengen zone visas.
The European Union and the United States do not recognise the election, and the EU has imposed sanctions against 40 Belarusian officials for election fraud. (PAP)
