(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-30 21:50

MINSK -- Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened on Sunday to expel US ambassador in Minsk if Washington imposes new economic sanctions on his country, according to news reports reaching here.

"Let the American ambassador in Minsk be engaged in her own problems or leave her post ahead of time, speaking of a possibility of clamping down on Belarus economic sanctions," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying when visiting a children's social village.

Once the possible sanctions affect substantially the Belarussian economy, the ambassador "will be the first to be kicked out of Belarus," he was quoted as saying, vowing to "respond immediately and in the toughest possible way" against US sanction.

US ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart warned in Minsk on December 13 that Washington could impose new sanctions on the nation over its refusal to free political prisoners and allow democratic freedoms.

The new sanctions could target other state-owned Belarussian companies, Stewart said.

Washington had previously imposed travel restrictions on Belarussian officials and earlier this year the US authorities imposed sanctions against Belarussian state-controlled oil-processing company Belneftekhim by freezing its assets and barring American companies from doing business with it.

Last year, the United States and the European Union also slapped travel sanctions on Lukashenko.