EU to Renew Sanctions for Belarusian Leadership

EU intends to renew sanctions on the President Alexander Lukashenko and 35 of his top officials. Preliminary talks by EU diplomats in September indicate the union will renew the travel ban for a further 12 months but at the same time suspend the measures for six months or 12 months.

The renewal is to reflect the fact little has changed inside the country since President Lukashenko fixed the last elections in 2006. The suspension reflects a change in EU foreign policy which took place around the launch of the Eastern Partnership in 2008. The union is keen to leave open the door to better relations with the post-Soviet country in order to protect its independence from Russia, EUobserver reports.