Scanlan donates portrait of Kostushko to Brest Regional Library

• 8.06.2012, 16:41

US Charge d`Affaires Michael Scanlan visited Brest on Thursday to donate books from his private collection to the Brest Regional Library.

Mr. Scanlan donated 50 books and a bronze bas relief depicting Belarusian-born hero Thaddeus Kosciusko (1746-1817). The bas relief, made by Belarusian artist Ales Shaternik, also features Kosciusko’s quote, “The first step toward freedom is to find the courage to be free. The second step toward a victory is to believe in your strength.”

Talking to reporters after his visit to the library, Mr. Scanlan who is to leave Belarus upon the expiration of his term in July, said that he wished his successor would see an increase in the embassy’s staffing level. In 2008, the embassy was mandated by the Belarusian government to reduce its staff from 35 to five diplomats after Minsk reduced the country’s diplomatic presence in the US from 17 to five diplomats in response to the US Treasury Department’s sanctions against Belarus` state petrochemical conglomerate Belnaftakhim.

Commenting on his tenure as US charge d’affaires in Belarus, Mr. Scanlan said that it could be divided into two periods.

In the first period, which ended with the December 2010 presidential election, the US embassy had good opportunities to carry out many projects with Belarusian partners at the local and national levels as the Belarusian authorities were taking steps toward the liberalization of the political and economic situation in the country, said the diplomat.

But unfortunately, the US embassy now may not donate materials on behalf of the US government to the Brest Regional Library, because the Belarusian authorities do not allow this, he said.

Attending the donation ceremony were local students and museum workers.

Since 2002, the US embassy has donated audio and video materials, books and periodical publications worth a total of $47,000 to the Brest Regional Library.