EU to press further sanctions against Belarus, including sectoral sanctions – Heiko Maas
<p> MINSK, Nov 11 - PrimePress. The European Union will extend sanctions against Belarus and all persons and companies involved in the trafficking of illegal migrants to Belarus, which may also include sectoral sanctions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said speaking in the Bundestag. </p> <p> </p> <p> In his words, the EU will expand and tighten sanctions against all those who participate in the targeted smuggling of migrants. The EU will push to “extend and tighten ... sanctions against Lukashenko's regime,” said Maas. </p> <p> </p> <p> Further options are under discussion, such as extending existing and other sanctions, above all the so-called sectoral sanctions, i.e. economic sanctions, Maas said. </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. End </p> <p> </p>
2021-11-12
Primepress
EU to press further sanctions against Belarus, including sectoral sanctions – Heiko Maas
MINSK, Nov 11 - PrimePress. The European Union will extend sanctions against Belarus and all persons and companies involved in the trafficking of illegal migrants to Belarus, which may also include sectoral sanctions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said speaking in the Bundestag.
In his words, the EU will expand and tighten sanctions against all those who participate in the targeted smuggling of migrants. The EU will push to “extend and tighten ... sanctions against Lukashenko's regime,” said Maas.
Further options are under discussion, such as extending existing and other sanctions, above all the so-called sectoral sanctions, i.e. economic sanctions, Maas said.
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.
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. End