The point here is that this is not a foreign language issue at all. The name of a country is not a foreign word. See Formats Rule 1 section 6a(1). Foreign proper names used in an English context are considered to be anglicized. And with all proper names, contraction usage is a matter of judgment. In consultation with Saralyn, we agreed that the BE contraction would be used, based on the pronunciation of similar words and proper nouns.
Hope this helps.
–Joanna