German ambassador: EU ready to start relationship with Belarus with clean slate

By suspending sanctions against Belarusian officials and a number of enterprises, the European Union shows that it is ready to start building a relationship with Belarus with a clean slate. This was stated by the German Ambassador Peter Dettmar on 18 November at the conference "Expansion Into New Markets." It is taking place in Minsk within the framework of the Global Entrepreneurship Week.

According to the diplomat, reported by BelaPAN, economic problems of recent years have more to do with political decisions that have been taken in the country rather than with the effect of the European sanctions.

The ambassador said that the suspension of sanctions is a signal of the EU that it is "ready to close eyes to the past events in Belarus and is ready to pay attention to what might be in the future."

By the way, the British Ambassador Bruce Bucknell said that the EU imposed sanctions against Belarus not as a state, but against certain individuals.

On 29 October the European Union suspended for four months sanctions against representatives of Belarus. The withdrawal of sanctions affected 170 individuals and three companies of Belarus. Under the sanctions have remained four men who were suspected by the EU of involvement in the political disappearances in Belarus - Uladzimir Naumau, Viktar Sheiman, Dzmitry Pauliuchenka and Yury Sivakou.

Photo: BelaPAN