NEW YORK, New York, November 19, 2009 (WSFB-AC) - After weeks of investigation and speculation, the United Nations issued a preliminary report concluding that Belarus is, evidently, a country.

The controversy began in early October at the United Nations General Assembly when Belarus was erroneously identified as the caterer instead of a sovereign republic.

“It is a regrettable but understandable situation,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters. “In a perfect world, the UN would know every country in the world, but that is just not practical. There are, like, 190 or something like that. We’re supposed to recognize them all? And let’s be honest. Here’s a globe…point to Belarus. That’s what I thought.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also quick to excuse the mistake. “The first time I saw Belarus was in the ’98 Olympics, and I was like, ‘Isn’t that the dude who played Dracula?’ Bill was like, ‘No, that is the Latin Grammy-award winning Mexican pop band from Guadalahara consisting of lead vocalist Denisse Guerrero, keydboardist Edgar Huerta, and Ricardo Aerreoloa on bass.’ ”

It turns out, however, that Belarus is evidently a sovereign nation in Eastern Europe with a population just under 10 million people. According to evidence provided to the United Nations, they even have a government, roads, actual buildings, an independent currency, and their own language.