Belarus Foreign Ministry Spokesperson answers question about the new package of EU sanctions against Belarus

TASS: On June 3, the European Union adopted another package of sanctions against Belarus. How can you comment on it?

A.Glaz: We have calmly studied this package. In principle, there is a clear logic in the actions of European bureaucrats. If they actively talk about values and freedom of movement, air travel will be banned without any consideration. If they talk about increasing mobility, they will close borders and stop issuing visas to people, prohibit cargo transportation leaving logistics companies and their employees to their destiny. If they say they support freedom of speech, they will ban journalists and the media with an alternative point of view.

So, when the European Union started actively trying to solve the problem of world hunger with words, the imposition of sanctions against the world's largest producer of potassium fertilizers was expected. This time they will not escape responsibility. We will constantly remind that the European Union officials are to blame for the aggravation of the problem of world hunger caused by the lack of fertilizers and for the increase in the number of victims of this disaster.

The Head of the Central Election Commission was put on the sanctions list for holding a referendum that the EU did not even observe! What is this? I will answer: a primitive attempt to coerce its will. A useless attempt in our reality.

The sanctions against the producer of public transport Belkommunmash OJSC are also eloquent. It is just in line with the main goal of all sanctions packages – to worsen the life of ordinary people as much as possible. Since they failed in the previous years, they have gone as far as public transport. It is encouraging that after such steps, the image of the EU in the eyes of ordinary Belarusians is increasingly acquiring its true shape.

By the way, I would like to congratulate all my fellow journalists who made it into the current nomination. It means that they are free from foreign dictates, capable of resisting the mainstream and guaranteeing pluralism of opinion that the EU claims to be so concerned about.

It is clear that the main objective of the EU’s hybrid aggression is to strangle the Belarusians, subdue their will, and deprive them of sovereignty by replacing it with images and trinkets. It was utopian from the very beginning, and now it is even more comical. The sooner those European officials who are still capable of critical thinking come to realize this, the less trouble they will make.

Once again, I would like to remind that unilateral coercive measures directly violate international law and are contrary to the obligations of the EU member states within the framework of universal and regional international organizations such as the UN and the OSCE.

Belarus will respond adequately to all unfriendly steps. As in previous occasions, the country's leadership will take effective measures to ensure that these acts of economic aggression have almost no impact on the lives of Belarusians.

Of course, many issues could be discussed and solved during an equal and constructive dialogue. The European Union is aware of our conditions and expectations for its initiation.

Print version