Foreign
BELARUS will not participate in the Eastern Partnership initiative of the European Union (EU), due to recently imposed sanctions on the country by the bloc.
Head of the EU Delegation to Belarus, Dirk Schuebel was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign on Ministry Monday, and was told of the suspension, said the ministry in a statement on Tuesday.
Belarus insisted it was unacceptable to use sanctions to put pressure on an independent state.
It said it was forced to take concrete steps as a response to the actions that threatened the country’s national security; and were detrimental to the economy and citizens, the statement added.
EU representatives involved in the introduction of restrictive measures against Belarus would be prohibited from entering the country, the ministry said, adding that more restrictions were being planned by the country.
In response to the diversion of a commercial flight to Minsk last month, the EU announced new sanctions against 78 individuals and eight entities in Belarus on June 21.
The Eastern Partnership was a joint initiative involving the EU, its member states and six Eastern Partner countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. (Xinhua/NAN)
– June 29, 2021 @ 12:59 GMT|
Tags: Belarus suspends participation in EU initiative over sanctions
