The EU reacted to the withdrawal of Belarus from the "Eastern Partnership"

Brussels expressed regret over Minsk's response to sectoral sanctions. The EU called the withdrawal from the "Eastern Partnership" and the recall of the Belarusian representative "steps towards self-isolation"

The European Union regrets the withdrawal of Belarus from the Eastern Partnership initiative. This was reported to RBC by the representative of the EU Foreign Service Nabila Massrali.

“This decision serves only to further isolate Belarus and is yet another demonstration of the regime’s disregard for the Belarusian people, who benefit from cooperation and various programs within the Eastern Partnership,” Massrali said.

According to her, the initiative is aimed at strengthening relations between the EU countries and other participants of the Eastern Partnership. At the same time, Brussels stressed that they are still ready to work with the inhabitants of Belarus, will continue to support "the Belarusian people, civil society, as well as their democratic aspirations."

Belarus in response to sanctions will suspend the readmission agreement with the EU Politics

The representative of the EU called the permanent representative of Belarus to the EU Alexander Makhnevich recalled to MINSK as another step towards self-isolation. “Maintaining open channels of communication is critical in times of crisis,” Massrali said.

On June 28, Minsk, in response to EU sectoral sanctions against Belarus, announced its withdrawal from the Eastern Partnership, an initiative that also covers Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. The partnership for Minsk facilitated the visa regime with the European Union.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei warned about a possible exit from the program a month ago. According to him, against the backdrop of increased sanctions pressure from the EU, the Eastern Partnership loses its meaning for Minsk.

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In addition, Belarus began the procedure for suspending the readmission agreement with the European Union - it established the procedure for accepting back to its territory its citizens (and, in some cases, foreigners who had previously been or lived in this state) who were subject to deportation. Minsk also recalled Makhnevich for consultations, the HEAD of the EU Delegation to Belarus, Dirk Schuebel, was also invited to travel to Brussels for consultations in order to convey to his leadership the position of the Belarusian side on the unacceptability of pressure and sanctions.

The first Russian airline began to fly around Belarus due to sanctions Business

On June 24, the EU for the first time introduced sectoral sanctions against the Belarusian economy: the production of potash fertilizers, oil production and oil refining fell under the restrictions. Minsk was cut off from the EU capital markets, European banks were banned from participating in Belarusian state projects.

The sanctions came in response to an incident with a Ryanair flight on May 23, when the plane landed in Minsk due to reports of a bomb. After that, the ex-chief editor of Nexta Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofya Sapega were removed from the flight and detained. In Belarus, Protasevich is accused of organizing riots.

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