Фото: КС
The European Union does not intend to change its sanctions policy or ease sanctions against the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. This was stated by EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan in response to a question from Coordination Council delegation member to PACE Pavel Latushka, the Coordination Council press service reported.
During a meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy at the spring session of PACE, Latushka asked the EU representative whether new sanctions against the Lukashenka regime would be introduced in the near future and whether there were any obstacles to this. O’Sullivan replied that the European Union does not plan to change its sanctions policy.
“All sanctions that the EU imposes against Russia are automatically extended to Belarus. The EU consistently adheres to this policy and does not plan to change it. The United States has begun easing sanctions against Belarus, which is causing concern in the EU because it creates ‘loopholes’ in the sanctions regime against Russia. The European Union considers this problematic and does not intend to follow this path”, the EU representative said.
After the meeting, Latushka and O’Sullivan held a separate meeting during which they discussed the need for further pressure on the regime. During the conversation, Latushka stressed that until Lukashenka changes his domestic repressive and foreign aggressive policies, European sanctions should not be lifted.