US Congresswoman: We must keep an eye on Lukashenka’s hands

• 8.02.2010, 12:54

The United States may impose sanctions on the Belarusian authorities if it turns out that the country delivers weapons to rogue states.

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a sponsor of the Belarus Arms Transfers Accountability Act of 2009, told it in an interview to Radio Svaboda Washington needed that bill to check if the Belarusian government ships weapons to the rogue states.

The act is intended to shed light on these potentially destabilizing actions, Ros-Lehtinen says.

According to the congresswoman, if Belarus is found to be involved in dangerous arms shipments, the United States will have to take actions, including imposing sanctions, to counter them.

The congresswoman said Washington should also pay attention to Russia’s possible involvement in the arms delivery.

If Moscow uses Belarus as a channel to sell weapons, any “resetting” relations with Russia must be stopped, Ros-Lehtinen states.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has been elected to the US House of Representatives from Florida's 18th congressional district in 1989. She became the first Cuban American elected to the US Congress.

We remind that the Belarus Arms Transfers Accountability Act of 2009 is being considered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. If the act is approved, the Secretary of State will have to submit to Congress an annual report on the scale and modalities of exports of weapons and related services by the Government of Belarus and Belarusian enterprises, including revenues flows, and the potential role of the government and enterprise of the Russian Federation in such exports and revenues.

The US congressmen express their concern over the growing volume of arms deliveries from Belarus and strengthening relations between official Minsk and state sponsors of terrorism.