OSCE monitoring group in Belarus vows to continue activities despite visa ban.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Portugal, the current chairman in office at the OSCE, has issued a statement in connection with the Belarusian authorities' refusal to extend the diplomatic accreditation of the last remaining foreign member of its Advisory and Monitoring Group [AMG].

The acting head of the AMG, Alina Josan, was forced to leave Belarus on 29 October after her diplomatic accreditation had not been renewed. Portugal, which presently chairs the OSCE, has issued an official statement to this effect.

[Passage omitted: repeat]

The statement says: "Despite the fact that the Belarusian authorities …