Belarus sanctions may be suspended by written procedure

Decision to suspend EU's sanctions against Belarus officials may be made through a written procedure, reports BelaPAN quoting the press office of the Council of the EU.

EU foreign ministers will not discuss the Belarus issue at their meeting in Luxemburg on October 26. The press office of the Council of the EU says under the procedure, decision on the sanctions can be taken at any of the meetings of the Council of the EU. "There should not  necessarily be the Council of EU Foreign Ministers. If no meetings are scheduled at all - and the Council will not meet till October 31, decision can alsways be taken through a written procedure," the press office told BelaPAN.

The previous resolution of the Council of the EU on sanctions against Belarus will expire on October 31. After the October 11, 2015 presidential elections in Belarus, EU representatives unofficially said the sanctions would be suspended for four months. This decision is yet to be officially processed by the end of October.

According to Reuters, four persons will remain under the EU sanctions. They are those who, EU believes, were involved in the disappearances of Belarusian politicians in the 1999-2000s: Uladzimir Navumau (former Interior Minister), Viktar Sheiman (former of head of Presidential Administration), Yury Sivakou (the Interior Minister at the time of the disapperances) and Dzmitry Paulyuchenka (commander of a Interior Troops special operations unit). Moreover, the sanctions are unlikely to be lifted against Belarusian arms exporter Beltexhexport.

Photo: sputnik.by