Comment of the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the introduction of additional restrictions on supplies to Belarus of certain goods originating from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia

On May 21, 2024 the Government of Belarus adopted a decision to introduce forced retaliatory measures against the systematic unfriendly actions of the European Union and a number of the most aggressive EU countries against the Republic of Belarus.

A ban on imports from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia of certain goods, including beverages, cosmetics, tableware, textiles and footwear was imposed. This decision does not affect goods imported for personal use.

The Belarusian side notes with a great regret states the ongoing attempts by these EU countries to become leaders of the Western anti-Belarus agenda. Such a line towards the destruction of friendly ties between the peoples of our countries, the continuous invention of new restrictions and the dissemination of misinformation about the real situation in Belarus cannot be explained.

And these are not just economic restrictions. We are talking about restrictions on the freedom of movement of people and goods, bans on the payment of pensions and alimony, illegal confiscation of goods and freezing of assets through an expansive interpretation of sanctions, threats to nationalize Belarusian state property. This range includes the preparation of militants and force scenarios of an unconstitutional coup in our country, restrictions on the broadcasting of Belarusian mass media, initiation of criminal proceedings against our own citizens who speak favourably about Belarus. This list can be continued.

All this bacchanalia takes place with the tacit consent of the majority of the EU member states, whose representatives simply sign yet another anti-Belarusian demarche prepared by "recognized experts on Belarus" from Vilnius and Warsaw, to which "experts" from Riga, Prague and Tallinn added. All this is presented under the surtone of the struggle for democracy and support of Belarusian pseudo-democratic forces, which in practice have long been allergic in the Belarusian society.

If the above-mentioned countries fail to immediately push through the most odious initiatives against Belarus, they are promptly adopted at the national level, and then Brussels is "taken by force". At the same time, such decisions obviously do not meet the interests of the EU member states themselves.

We note once again the futility of any sanctions measures. We trust that from now on the EU countries will soberly and balancedly assess the information from their partners about the threats allegedly emanating from Belarus and will come to understand that there is no alternative to a return to dialogue with Minsk in the interests of the stability and security of the entire region.

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