English

EU foreign ministers may consider lifting entry ban on Foreign Minister Makey

The European Union foreign ministers may consider lifting the 27-nation bloc’s entry ban on Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey at their meeting in Luxembourg on June 24, Belsat TV reported with reference to European Parliament Vice President Jacek Protasiewicz.

The Polish politician warned that even one vote against lifting the visa sanctions on Mr. Makey would be enough for the proposal to be rejected.

The matter is not on the formal agenda of the meeting, which includes, among other issues, preparations for a July meeting of the foreign ministers representing the EU and the countries involved in the Eastern Partnership program in Brussels, and for an Eastern Partnership summit to be hosted by Lithuania this November.

When reached by BelaPAN, Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for Catherine Ashton, the EU`s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, would not say whether the travel sanctions against Mr. Makey could be discussed at the Luxembourg meeting.

Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrius Krivas told reporters earlier this month that a decision to allow Mr. Makey to travel to the EU may be made before the end of June.

According to Mr. Krivas, the suspension of the ban would be temporary and would be reconsidered from time to time.

While speaking at a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in late April, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics suggested that the EU should resume political dialogue with Belarus, and that Mr. Makey should be invited to take part in the meeting of the foreign ministers of Eastern Partnership participating countries, which will take place in Brussels on July 22.

The European Union imposed the travel ban on Uladzimir Makey in January 2011 for his role in "the violations of international electoral standards" in the December 2010 presidential election and a post-election crackdown on government opponents. Mr. Makey was blacklisted while he was serving as head of the Presidential Administration. In August 2012, Mr. Makey was appointed to the position of foreign minister instead of Syarhey Martynaw, who was not on the EU`s blacklist.