Belarus will have to deepen economic and political integration with Russia after EU imposes new sanctions – expert opinion
<p> MINSK, Oct 8 – PrimePress. Belarus will have to deepen economic and political integration with Russia after the European Union (EU) imposes a new helping of sanctions against Minsk, reckons Bogdan Bezpalko, member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation. </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, the European Union imposed sanctions against major sectors of the Belarusian economy since 25 June 2021, and on 9 August the US, the UK and Canada imposed sectoral sanctions. Earlier, the EU imposed three more parcels of sanctions, which it justified by the escalation of human rights violations in Belarus after the August 2020 presidential election. The overall sanctions list includes 166 individuals and 15 organizations and companies. A fifth package of sanctions against Belarus in connection with the migration crisis at the EU border is the pipeline. Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Belarus by majority vote during the plenary session on 7 October, demanding to impose additional sanctions on the Belarusian authorities and sectors of the economy. </p> <p> </p> <p> Bezpalko believes that sanctions may affect the key sectors of Belarus’ economy. “There may be a huge list of specific measures. Woodworking is one of the few currently profitable industries in Belarus. It will be impossible to sell timber, woodworking products to the European Union. These sanctions will cut off possibilities to trade via Baltic ports. For example, sanctions can be declared against all government officials,” Bezpalko told RIA Novosti. </p> <p> </p> <p> The expert also noted sanctions against private organizations, for example, against the firms of Russian businessman Mikhail Gutseriyev. Given all this, Belarus, in his opinion, will really find itself in a very difficult economic situation. “Its gross external debt has already reached almost 68% of GDP, which is a very bad figure,” the expert said. End </p> <p> </p>
2021-10-09
Primepress
Belarus will have to deepen economic and political integration with Russia after EU imposes new sanctions – expert opinion
MINSK, Oct 8 – PrimePress. Belarus will have to deepen economic and political integration with Russia after the European Union (EU) imposes a new helping of sanctions against Minsk, reckons Bogdan Bezpalko, member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation.
As previously reported, the European Union imposed sanctions against major sectors of the Belarusian economy since 25 June 2021, and on 9 August the US, the UK and Canada imposed sectoral sanctions. Earlier, the EU imposed three more parcels of sanctions, which it justified by the escalation of human rights violations in Belarus after the August 2020 presidential election. The overall sanctions list includes 166 individuals and 15 organizations and companies. A fifth package of sanctions against Belarus in connection with the migration crisis at the EU border is the pipeline. Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Belarus by majority vote during the plenary session on 7 October, demanding to impose additional sanctions on the Belarusian authorities and sectors of the economy.
Bezpalko believes that sanctions may affect the key sectors of Belarus’ economy. “There may be a huge list of specific measures. Woodworking is one of the few currently profitable industries in Belarus. It will be impossible to sell timber, woodworking products to the European Union. These sanctions will cut off possibilities to trade via Baltic ports. For example, sanctions can be declared against all government officials,” Bezpalko told RIA Novosti.
The expert also noted sanctions against private organizations, for example, against the firms of Russian businessman Mikhail Gutseriyev. Given all this, Belarus, in his opinion, will really find itself in a very difficult economic situation. “Its gross external debt has already reached almost 68% of GDP, which is a very bad figure,” the expert said. End