Editing Foreign relations of Belarus (section)

===Relations with the United States===
{{Main|Belarus–United States relations}}
Belarus has had an ongoing discussion to relaunch IMF-backed reforms, concluding an arrangement for an IMF Staff-monitored program (SMP) in 2001. However, the authorities did not follow through with reforms as hoped, leaving an uncertain future for IMF-backed cooperation. Belarus authorities have said on several occasions that they find IMF intervention and recommendations in Belarus counter-productive to the economic development of those countries.
The relationships with the United States have been further strained, after [[Congress of the United States]] unanimously passed the [[Belarus Democracy Act of 2004]].

On 7 March 2008 the government of Belarus ejected US Ambassador [[Karen B. Stewart]] from the country, following a row over travel restrictions placed on President Lukashenko and sanctions against state-owned chemical company [[Belneftekhim]]. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry announced at the same time that it was recalling its own ambassador to the US. This was followed by the expulsion of ten other U.S. embassy staff from Minsk in late April. At the same time the government of Belarus ordered the U.S. Embassy in Minsk to cut its staff by half.<ref name="aljazeera1">{{Cite web
|url = http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2008/04/200861503523435683.html
|title = Belarus expels US diplomats
|access-date = 2009-01-02
|date= 1 May 2008
|publisher=Al Jazeera
}}</ref><ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news
|url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04EFDA1E3FF936A15750C0A96E9C8B63
|title = Belarus: U.S. Cuts Embassy Staff
|access-date = 2009-01-02
|author=Michael Schwartz
|date = 25 March 2008
|work=The New York Times
}}</ref><ref name="moscowtimes1">{{Cite web
|url = http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1010/42/361246.htm
|title = U.S. Ambassador Leaving Belarus
|access-date = 2009-01-02
|author = Andrei Makhovsky
|date = 13 March 2008
|publisher = The Moscow Times.com
|archive-date = 5 September 2008
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080905104549/http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1010/42/361246.htm
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> A [[White House]] spokesman described the expulsion as "deeply disappointing".