EU revs up sanctions spiral, leaves no options to find “windows of opportunity” – Belarus Foreign Ministry

<p> MINSK, Jun 22 - PrimePress. The European Union (EU) deliberately spins the sanctions spiral, from which it is getting harder and harder for all sides to get away, leaving neither time nor space to seek "windows of opportunity" to overcome the current situation. This is stated in the commentary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus on the new portion of sanctions against the Belarusian authorities introduced by the EU, the U.S., the UK and Canada. </p> <p>   </p> <p> It is stated in the commentary notes that the restrictions imposed by the Western countries sound almost like a declaration of economic war. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “The Belarusian state is able to and will do everything possible to protect its citizens and economic entities. Sanctions and restrictions will not have the effect desired by their customers. The retaliatory measures that the EU is forcing us to take may also have a negative impact on the areas of our cooperation and, ultimately, on the interests of the citizens and companies of the Western countries that have taken unfriendly steps towards our state,” reads the commentary. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, the Council of the European Union (EU) at the level of foreign ministers of EU member states approved on 21 June 2021 the fourth package of individual sanctions on Belarus targeting 78 individuals and eight entities. The list of persons and entities hit by the sanctions includes MAZ, BelAZ, New Oil Company, Belaeronavigatsia air traffic service company, Bremino Group, Logex and Globalcustommanagement logistics companies, Sohra (exporter of Belarusian equipment), as well as the defence minister and the head of the Investigation Committee of Belarus, some judges, employees of security agencies and major businessmen. The EU Council also agreed to impose sanctions against seven sectors of the Belarusian economy, including exports of potash fertilizers and petrochemical products to the EU. The discussion of sectoral economic sanctions against Belarus will continue at a summit of the EU heads of state on June 24-25. The sectoral sanctions would be approved after the summit. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The United States on 21 June 2021 introduced sanctions against Belarus’ 16 individuals and 5 entities in response to human rights abuse and the Ryanair diversion incident. The United Kingdom (UK) on June 21 imposed sanctions against 11 individuals and two entities of Belarus after the Ryanair plane incident, as well as in response to human rights violations and suppression of democracy. Canada on 21 June 2021 imposed sanctions against 17 individuals and five entities of Belarus after the Ryanair plane incident and in response to human rights abuse. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, after the August 2020 presidential elections in Belarus, a political crisis began in the country. The authorities responded to the protests of citizens who disagreed with the election results with harsh repression and persecution. Since October 2020, the EU has already introduced three packages of sanctions against the Belarusian authorities, and after the Ryanair incident in Minsk a fourth package was in the pipeline. On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair plane that took off from Athens made an emergency landing at Minsk International Airport after a reported bomb threat. A MiG-29 fighter jet alert crew was scrambled to escort the plane. After the landing, the plane was inspected and no bomb was found on board. Among the passengers on that flight was Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel recognized as extremist in Belarus. He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus. End </p> <p>   </p>

2021-06-23

Primepress