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EU may impose economic sanctions on Belarus

 

The European Union may impose economic sanctions on Belarus if the government mounts its crackdown on political opponents, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said at this weekend`s Brussels Forum held to discuss international affairs.

“We persuaded our colleagues, foreign ministers, to allow the possibility of further measures, which is understood to mean exactly what the US does: sanctions against particular companies,” Mr. Sikorski said, referring to Washington`s February decision to lift the suspension of its sanctions against AAT Lakafarba and AAT Polatsk Shklovalakno, two companies controlled by the Belarusian State Petrochemical Industry Concern (Belnaftakhim).

The EU is considering imposing sanctions on a number of companies, said the Polish minister. “If the situation gets worse in Belarus, it’s a real possibility,” he stressed.

US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said that the imposition of economic sanctions was “the right thing to do as part of the consequences” for the Lukashenka regime. “As a policy matter we have to demonstrate that there is a cost to this sort of behavior by a regime,” he said.

The commissioner for enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Stefan Fule, confirmed that the EU was holding a discussion on other sanctions that could be used to punish Minsk. “No one is interested in making business with Lukashenka while he’s pursuing the policies,” he said.

The Polish foreign minister called on the EU not to delay easing entry to the bloc for the citizens of Belarus. “We would like to do something for the Belarus civil society, right? For example, cheaper visas,” he said. “That requires us to negotiate a visa facilitation agreement with the regime, It’s crazy. We should just grant that.”, said BelaPAN.

On March 21, the EU Foreign Affairs Council extended the bloc’s list of Belarusian citizens subject to travel bans and asset freezes over the ongoing crackdown on government opponents, adding 19 Belarusians more to it. The Council made the decision “in view of the gravity of the situation in Belarus.”

On January 31, the Council of the EU imposed asset freezes and travel bans on nearly 160 Belarusian government officials and other individuals. The Council also agreed that access to national visas and, subsequently, to the Schengen visa for common citizens of Belarus should be facilitated.

Catherine Ashton, the EU`s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said in a declaration on March 18 that the sanctions would continue to be extended to "Belarusian officials such as judges and prosecutors directly involved in the sentencing of persons on political grounds and in the crackdown on civil society."