Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the introduction of new sanctions restrictions by the EU against Belarus

The Belarusian side is outright disappointed with the decision of the European Union on 3 August 2023 to impose new sanctions against the Republic of Belarus.

We regard this step as a continuation of the EU's unfriendly policy towards our country and yet another attempt of blatant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. It is obvious that such actions of Brussels destroy the ways back to an acceptable level of Belarusian-European relations.

We stress once again that unilateral coercive measures directly violate international law, since only the UN Security Council is authorized to take such decisions.

The uselessness and ineffectiveness of sanctions and their negative impact on all parties, including the initiators of such measures, have long been confirmed in practice and are absolutely obvious to all reasonable people.

Representatives of the agricultural and food production sectors around the world can best tell us about the consequences of the sanctions restrictions. It is the reckless and irresponsible actions of the EU and its allies that have created a real threat of a food crisis on the planet. This issue, by the way, was emphasized in detail yesterday by the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations, Mr. Valentin Rybakov, in his speech at the open debate of the UN Security Council on food security in the world.

The inclusion of large Belarusian business entities, which employ thousands of Belarusians, in the sanctions list illustrates once again the false and hypocritical approaches of the European Union. Empty words of its
high-ranking representatives about the alleged support of the Belarusian people are in fact not worth a dime. Brussels does not care about the rights of ordinary Belarusians at all.

In reality, under the guise of beautiful slogans about democracy and human rights, the European Union cynically promotes its own narrow geopolitical interests.

We unequivocally declare that any external attempts to hold back the development of our country are doomed to failure from the outset. The Belarusian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures.

We will continue to consistently defend the country’s independence and sovereignty, pursue an independent foreign policy, and ensure an adequate level of welfare for our citizens.

At the same time, we firmly believe that unwinding the sanctions spiral is a path to nowhere. What is at stake today is not only mutual economic damage but also a serious crisis of confidence that poses threats to stability and security of our entire region.