EU to discuss new possible sanctions against Belarus on 15 November

<p> MINSK, Nov 10 - PrimePress. The foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) will gather on November 15 to discuss possible new sanctions against Belarus and as well as measures against countries from where migrants go on their pilgrimage to Europe. </p> <p>   </p> <p> President of the European Council Charles Michel made a statement to this effect at a news conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw on Wednesday, as reported by PRIME news agency. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “Next Monday there shall be a ministerial meeting at the level of the foreign affairs," to discuss concrete measures against the leadership of Belarus. The EU must also explain the consequences to the countries of origin and transit countries, he stressed. "Our ambassadors in Brussels had a meeting again today about this topic,” Charles Michel said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> He stressed that Brussels was ready to use different tools, including diplomatic ones, to overcome the migrant crisis on the border with Belarus. He said that he had come to Poland to express his solidarity, “the solidarity of the whole European Union vis-·-vis Poland.” </p> <p>   </p> <p> The president of the European Council left without making any comments at the news conference about an appeal by Warsaw to hold an emergency summit of the heads of state and government of the EU countries to discuss the migrant crisis. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The migration crisis on Belarus’ border with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland deteriorated dramatically on November 8, when several thousand people in organized groups escorted by Belarusian law enforcers approached the Polish border from the Belarusian side near the Bruzgi-Kuznica Bialostocka border checkpoint and are not leaving the border zone. Some of them have tried to cross into Poland by cutting razor wire fences. The Polish side estimated their number to be three to four thousand. They tried unsuccessfully several times to break through the border fences. Poland has completely closed the border checkpoint for an indefinite period. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In July 2021, President Lukashenko stated that, due to sanctions imposed by Western countries, he no longer intended to restrain illegal migration to the European Union. This was followed by attempts to illegally cross the border with Lithuania, Poland and Latvia by migrants from the Middle East, with total inactivity of the Belarusian border service. By 1 November, the Polish border guards alone registered 23 thousand such attempts. The Polish and Lithuanian leaders have repeatedly stated that the current migration crisis is organised by the Belarusian and Russian authorities. End </p>

2021-11-11

Primepress