VOA标准英语2008年-US Ready for Better Relations With Belarus

The United States said Friday it is prepared for "significant" improvement in the chilly¹ relationship with Belarus, but will be looking closely at the conduct of elections in that country next month as well as other issues. Belarus this month released what were believed to be its last three political prisoners. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The State Department says the United States is ready to consider dropping sanctions against Belarus and returning relations to normal if there is a further easing of political curbs² by the Minsk government.
　

Alexander Lukashenko (File)

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has run the east European country with an authoritarian³ hand since his election in 1994.

But Belarus has been sending conciliatory signals to western governments since a dispute with neighbor and political ally Russia over energy supplies early this year.

Within the last two weeks, Belarus released the last three persons considered by human rights groups to have been political prisoners, including opposition⁴ leader Alexander Kozulin who challenged Mr. Lukashenko in the 2006 presidential election.

The United States responded late last week by sending Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs David Merkel to Minsk to meet government officials and opposition figures, including Kozulin.

In a statement Friday, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said Merkel's meetings with Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov and others were productive.

Wood said positive steps by Belarus could lead to a "significant" improvement in relations including the removal of U.S. visa restrictions⁵ and economic sanctions.

"Deputy Assistant Secretary Merkel made clear that the conduct of parliamentary elections September 28th will be important in this regard," he said. "Merkel emphasized our interest in returning to normal staffing in Belarus, which the Belarusian authorities reduced to only five American positions this spring."

The two countries engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions earlier this year, after the Minsk government ordered the departure of U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart in protest of human rights-related U.S. economic sanctions.

The United States stopped issuing most visas to would-be Belarusian travelers because of the limited embassy staff in Minsk.

Spokesman Wood said U.S. envoy⁶ Merkel's meetings with Kozulin and civil society members focused on the September elections, which are to be monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe among others.

He said Merkel pressed Minsk authorities for "acceptable" treatment, including proper medical care and visitation rights, for American businessman Emanuel Zeltser who was given a three-year prison term on industrial-espionage charges in August.

Wood said under questioning that the United States would not take a positive view if Belarus followed Moscow's lead and recognized as independent the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

But he said he would not speculate if such action would kill chances for improved U.S. relations with Minsk.

Belarusian President Lukashenko said Thursday Russia had "no other moral option" but to recognize the two areas and a foreign ministry⁷ official in Minsk said Belarus would follow suit within days.

Thus far, Moscow stands alone in the recognition move, which has drawn⁸ sharp criticism from the United States and European Union as a violation⁹ of Georgia's territorial¹⁰ integrity.

1 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

2 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

3 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

9 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

10 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。