U.S. Department of State comments on Belarus sanctions

The U.S. Department of State has commented on Belarus sanctions, its Deputy Spokesman Marc Toner said in Washington on April 29. The decision to lift or keep the sanctions imposed on Belarusian enterprises will depend on a number of factors. The main one will be the results of this year’s parliamentary election, BelaPAN reports.

The USA decided not to strengthen Belarus sanctions on Friday, Euroradio reported. The decision was made by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on April 29, 2015 and it had been in force for six months. It has been prolonged until October 31, 2016. The sanctiona were imposed on a number of Belarusian state enterprises (Belneftekhim, Grodno Azot, Belshina, Naftan, etc.) 10 years ago due to the violation of human rights in our country. They have been regularly prolonged since then.  

The decision to mitigate the sanctions will be used by Washington to encourage the Belarusian authorities ‘to take additional measures to observe human rights, the freedom of mass media and the freedom of the civil society and to conduct democratic elections, namely the parliamentary election in 2016’, Toner noted. The USA also considers the decision ‘as assistance in supporting Belarus’ economic independence, its sovereignty and territorial integrity’.

The human rights situation in our country is ‘ambiguous’, the spokesman of the U.S. Department of State said. If there is no progress, the USA may resume the sanctions.

Belarus and the USA are ready for normalization of relations, Belarusian Minister for Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei said not long ago.