Maria Vanshina, Deputy Head for Information, Comments to BelTA News Agency with Regard to the EU Decision to Extend Sanctions against Belarusian Officials and Businesses

25 January 2012

Q.: Could you comment on the latest decision by the European Union to extend criteria for new sanctions against Belarus?

A.: I do not think there is a solid basis for comment. There is rather a sense of dead-end logic in the EU decisions. In fact, there were at first lists of objects of sanctions – physical and legal entities. They were followed, in reverse, by “criteria” to apply the sanctions. And finally, the “criteria” have been formulated in such a way that any Belarusian citizen, receiving a salary or a reward from the state, even child's benefit, is under a threat of sanctions.

That's how almost the entire population of Belarus, which the EU is so concerned about in words – got in the focus of its biased politics. It looks very “democratic”… Probably there is something wrong with the policy itself.

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Выступление Министра М.Рыженкова на открытых дебатах Совета Безопасности ООН // Statement by Minister M.Ryzhenkov at the open debate of the UN Security Council