News

As the human rights situation continues to worsen in Belarus, the European Union‘s Foreign Affairs Council decided on 23 May in Brussels to extend the decision regarding restrictive measures imposed on the members of Belarus regime who participate in the repressions against civil society. It was decided to include a further 13 officials into the list of persons who are applied restrictive measures.

The EU foreign ministers adopted the decision regarding the extension of the list without debating it. The list now includes 188 surnames of the individuals who are subject to the EU travel restrictions and an assets freeze in the European banks.

The situation in Belarus on the agenda of Foreign Affairs Council was among the issues that were not deliberated due to the lack of time.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Audronius Ažubalis says that Lithuania supports the measures which are well thought over, have a targeted impact and are aimed against the specific individuals who serve the regime, who implement politically motivated repressions and disrupt the development of civil society.

As the human rights situation worsens in Belarus, the EU‘s opening would be the greatest support and incentive to the civil society of Belarus. The EU has so far not employed the important possibility for a positive impact, i.e. it has not started the negotiations for the facilitation of visa regime.

In case the human rights situation does not cease worsening in Belarus, the EU will proceed with deliberating further targeted restrictive measures against Belarus, as it is projected in the January conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council. Lithuania will aspire to achieve that such measures do not worsen the situation of the ordinary Belarusian people and do not have a negative impact on the Lithuanian business. The EU‘s Foreign Affairs Council is likely to return to these issues in the future.