Minsk, Nov 12 (IANS): Belarus and the United States will not exchange ambassadors in the near future, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told media.

Belarus is interested in developing relations with the United States, Makei said on Wednesday, hoping that the United States will better understand the interests of Belarus instead of imposing a US-style form of democracy on the country.

The United States believes Belarus plays a buffer role between Russia and the West, but Belarus has no interest in assuming that position, he added.

In 2008, the ties between Belarus and the United States deteriorated due to sanctions imposed by the United States against the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Belarus recalled its ambassador to the United States, then the US Ambassador to Belarus left his post.

In September 2019, a senior US State Department official said during a visit to Belarus that the United States and Belarus had decided to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries.

But in August 2021, the United States introduced a new package of sanctions on the Eastern European country. After that, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry withdrew a decision to approve Julie Fisher as US Ambassador.