Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus received the decision of the Council of the European Union to impose sanctions on the Belarusian leadership with regret. An official Foreign Ministry statement of January 31 notes that Belarus has to "take proportionate and appropriate measures to aim at strengthening the sovereignty of Belarus."
«Tension in relations with the European Union is not our choice,» stressed in the Foreign Ministry. Employees of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus are convinced that the approach, Europe decided on, will not lead to valid conclusions. In addition, the Foreign Ministry took the decision of the EU as a «direct interference in the affairs of a sovereign state.»
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry believes that the decision, taken by the EU Council, «is based on clear cover-up of the action of demonstrators’ aggression and violence, expressed in the attempt to seize the Government buildings and the Belarusian Parliament after the presidential election on December 19, 2010.»
«The election results’ selective and biased interpretation by the EU international observation mission in Belarus is aimed at ignoring the clear will of the Belarusian people,» Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
EU Encourages Unlawfulness and Extremism in Face of Belarusian Opposition, Foreign Minister
«Logic of the EU conclusions undermines credibility and inevitably leads to destruction of the goal, common for the east and west of our continent, which is the formation of Europe without dividing lines. Creating artificial obstacles at the level of interstate cooperation, the European Union deprives itself of the opportunity to contribute to the social transformation of Belarus in a constructive way. A blatant attempt to justify opposition’s violations of the law, dangerous to society, encourages unlawfulness and extremism from the outside. This practice prevents the formation of responsible public organizations, emanating from the interests of the country’s citizens,» noted the Minister.
Leadership of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry is particularly concerned about the fact that the EU’s reaction to the situation in Belarus was «absolutely incomparable» with tougher government actions in some other states of the European region. «Such a dramatic double standard is the EU’s meaningless rhetoric over «European values,» said the Foreign Ministry of Belarus.
In this regard, Belarus urges the EU to «escape from the logic of confrontation and hasty attempts to destroy the constructive content of the relationships, jointly built, with no reasonable alternative left.»
Pressure on Belarus Has No Prospects, MFA
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry assured that the country would remain «consistent policy of progressive modernization and reform of government institutions, development of social dialogue and civil society to meet the needs of the country.» Pressure on Belarus, according to the Foreign Ministry, has no prospects.
«We are for the strengthening of partnerships with the European Union. We are for the open, honest and respectful dialogue and equal cooperation, free from discrimination and double standards,» summed up in the Foreign Ministry.
