EU considers lifting Belarus sanctions

Some political and economic sanctions against Belarus may soon be lifted by the EU, following a preliminary declaration by EU foreign affairs ministers during a summit in Avignon in early September. The step was proposed by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.

According to EU officials, the lifting of the ban would come as a response to Belarus' release of the last of its political prisoners, although other factors were also cited. However, the officials suggested they would wait to see the result of the upcoming parliamentary elections on September 28 before taking any specific steps.

"I don't know if we can do anything concrete before the elections, [but] we want to confirm the positive trends in Belarus," Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner responsible for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy told the media. Still, the preliminary declaration seems to signal a major shift in policy.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergey Martinov was invited to come to Brussels on September 15 for a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers. As WBJ went to press he was expected to attend, making his visit the first of a Belarusian official to the EU since the bloc imposed restrictions in 2004.

The EU expanded the sanctions in 2006, accusing the Belarusian government of violating international norms for free elections. The sanctions include a ban on 41 representatives of the Belarusian government, including President Alexander Lukashenko, from entering the EU.

The prospect of lifting the sanctions has primarily economic grounds, according to Andrzej Maciejewski, a political expert at the Sobieski Institute think tank.

"There are about 200 companies in Belarus awaiting privatization, and these are tempting targets for international companies," he said.