The head of the EU foreign Ministers started the production of sanctions against officials of the Belarusian leadership, which are deemed responsible for the violence of security forces against peaceful demonstrators and the falsification of the presidential elections in the Republic. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of state Michael Pompeo said about the need to hold in Belarus the repeated presidential elections in the presence of international observers.
The head of the EU foreign Ministers on the evening of August 14 participated in a meeting to agree on specific sanctions against the Belarusian authorities.
As pointed out by the foreign Minister of Slovakia Ivan Korcok, the reason for this was the falsification of Belarusian officials the result of the last August 9 presidential elections and the harsh actions of the security forces against protesters.
“an Important discussion of the foreign Ministers of the EU on Belarus. [We have made] consensus that the elections were rigged. EU begins work on individual targeted measures against individuals responsible for violence against peaceful demonstrators and election fraud,” he wrote on Twitter.
Previously, the EU refused to recognize the Belarusian elections as legitimate. This is stated in a statement on 11 August statement by the EU high representative for foreign Affairs and security policy Josep Borrell agreed with the foreign Ministers of all 27 EU countries.
The document notes that the EU is studying the possibility of imposing sanctions against those responsible for “police violence”.
“the Government has resorted to disproportionate and unacceptable violence that led to the death of at least one person and wounding many others.
Thousands of people were detained, and increased violations of freedom of Assembly and the press. We urge the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees,” — said in a statement.
The rallies began in the country on the evening of 9 August and is still going on. The main reason for the dissatisfaction with the election results. The final results were published only five days after the vote. According to the CEC, was won by Alexander Lukashenko.
Voted for by over 80% of voters. His main rival from the United opposition groups Svetlana Tikhanovski supported, according to official data, slightly more than 10% of Belarusians.
Later the country went on strike in the largest industrial enterprises, the staff demanded new elections and the cessation of harsh treatment of protesters at demonstrations. All the staffs of the opposition candidates have declared non-recognition of the official results of the vote.
According to the interior Ministry, from 9 to 13 August in the Republic were detained about 7 thousand people, some of them have already been released.
She Tikhanovski R��results are not recognized. According to her, the majority of citizens want change and voted for it. At the moment the politician is in Lithuania. The authorities of the Baltic republics claim that she was forced to leave Belarus.
Foreign Minister of Germany Heiko Maas suggested the European Union inspect the results of the elections. The corresponding statement he made on Twitter. He also urged to impose sanctions on those who involved in the use of violence against participants of protest actions.
“We from the EU want to significantly increase the pressure on Belarus,” — wrote the diplomat.
In addition, Berlin suggests that elections do not meet “minimum standards for democratic elections”.
U.S. Secretary of state Michael Pompeo during a press conference after talks with Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa also insisted on the need to hold in Belarus the repeated presidential elections in the presence of international observers.
As the diplomat noted, the United States feels similar to the EU’s anxiety over the situation in Belarus. Washington hopes that there will be developed a common approach to the situation in the Republic.
The proposal of the head of the US state Department about the re-election was supported by the Prime Minister of Slovenia.
“I think the only possible peaceful solution to the current crisis in Belarus, it is necessary to hold new elections in case of serious the presence of international observers,” said Jansa.
Moscow is also concerned about the protests in Belarus after the presidential elections, said the official representative of the foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.
“We are concerned about reports related to the violation of public order incidents in the streets of several Belarusian towns and cities that took place after the presidential elections,” — said the diplomat.
Later the President of Lithuania Gitanos Nausea together with the Estonian colleague Kirsty Calulator discussed the work in the field of import of electricity from the NPP. It is reported by RIA “Novosti”.
The leaders of the countries agreed according to the representatives of Baltic region countries to refuse to import electricity from the nuclear power plant.
The presidency aim to reach a “unanimous agreement” among other colleagues. Kaljulaid also thanked the Lithuanian leader for “unconditional support in the assessment of the threat posed by nuclear power plant.”
