As of January 2009, US-Belarus relations are quite strained. In April 2008, in protest to the continued economic sanctions by the US, a complaint over the takeover of embassy staff housing, as well as a high-profile meeting in 2005 by then Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Belarussian opposition leaders, Belarus expelled the US ambassador and all but 5 staff at the US embassy, . At this time the US embassy in Minsk provides only emergency services. All other services (passport renewal, birth abroad reports, registration, marriage reports, and more) have been suspended. It is conceivable that these strained relations can affect the quality of service American citizens receive from both the government and the embassy in the event of trouble.
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