MINSK: Belarus announced on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) it was closing its embassy in Canada as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the country's regime over its diversion of an airliner to arrest a dissident on board. On its website, the embassy said it would shut down on September 1 after 24 years 'of mutually beneficial cooperation,' and halt consular services, including the processing of visa applications, starting in July. In an email to Agence France-Presse, Charge d'Affaires Evgeny Russak said the decision was made 'in connection with the optimization of the Belarusian diplomatic presence' in different regions.
