Belarus leader pardons US lawyer, seeks better ties

MINSK, June 30 (Reuters) - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday pardoned a U.S. lawyer jailed on charges of industral espionage and expressed the hope that the move would help strained relations with Washington.

A statement issued by Lukashenko's press service said Emmanuel Zeltser, imprisoned last year at the height of a diplomatic row, had been pardoned by presidential decree. Lukashenko had earlier met a U.S. Congressional delegation.

"As this is important for America and our relations and will help create a normalisation of our relations, I am signing this decree today," Lukashenko's press service quoted him as saying. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky, writing by Ron Popeski, editing by Richard Balmforth)