Western economic sanctions focused on internal political changes in Belarus - expert
<p> MINSK, Jun 23 - PrimePress. Western economic sanctions are focused on internal political changes in Belarus and may be strengthened in response to the resistance of the Belarusian authorities to such changes, reckons researcher of the Global Policy Center (USA) Yevgeny Chausovsky. </p> <p> </p> <p> The purpose of the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) and the United States against Belarus is not “to weaken the Belarusian economy as such, but rather to put pressure on the Belarusian government to implement political changes inside the country”, Chausovsky said in an interview with Eurasia.Expert. </p> <p> </p> <p> “As long as the government in Belarus resists these changes, we can expect economic pressure from the West to persist and potentially increase,” said the expert. </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 is in the pipeline. End </p>
2021-06-24
Primepress
Western economic sanctions focused on internal political changes in Belarus - expert
MINSK, Jun 23 - PrimePress. Western economic sanctions are focused on internal political changes in Belarus and may be strengthened in response to the resistance of the Belarusian authorities to such changes, reckons researcher of the Global Policy Center (USA) Yevgeny Chausovsky.
The purpose of the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) and the United States against Belarus is not “to weaken the Belarusian economy as such, but rather to put pressure on the Belarusian government to implement political changes inside the country”, Chausovsky said in an interview with Eurasia.Expert.
“As long as the government in Belarus resists these changes, we can expect economic pressure from the West to persist and potentially increase,” said the expert.
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.
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.
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 is in the pipeline. End