Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus in connection with the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU dated July 3, 2025 regarding Grodno Azot OJSC

The decision of the Court of the European Union on July 3, 2025, to reject the appeal of OJSC “Grodno Azot” and its branch “Khimvolokno Plant” concerning the EU sanctions imposed on Belarusian enterprises, while deeply disappointing, was quite predictable.

This ruling once again shatters the widely promoted myth of fairness and objectivity in the European judicial system.

The rule of law and the protection of democratic values in the EU exist in name only. What about the much-touted so-called “rules-based international order”?

Any impartial legal expert can see that the EU sanctions regime not only blatantly violates the UN Charter but is also structured in such a way that it can effectively be applied against any legal or natural person without proper legal grounds.In the case of Belarusian enterprises, the so-called “sufficient grounds” are merely state ownership and paying taxes to the budget. Isn’t that absurd?

As sanctions packages are endlessly produced and court decisions issued, the European bureaucracy does not even attempt to observe the basic rules of legal propriety, including the presumption of innocence and adequacy of evidence. It is also worth noting that Belarusian legal entities are denied the right to qualified legal counsel and other necessary legal assistance within the EU.

Selective application of legal norms, double standards, and opaque procedures in the European Union create an atmosphere of distrust and nihilism toward the loudly proclaimed European values.

However, it seems that finding a speck in another’s eye while ignoring the log in one’s own has become a favorite pastime of some of our European partners.

We call on the European Union to finally abandon the harmful practice of using unlawful restrictive measures, which serve solely as tools of unfair competition and political pressure.