The United States, the European Union and Canada will announce coordinated sanctions against Belarus next week, Acting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent told a virtual panel on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2020) The United States, the European Union and Canada will announce coordinated sanctions against Belarus next week, Acting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent told a virtual panel on Friday.
"I'm in intense contact with my European - which is EU plus UK at this point - plus Canadian contacts. Our aspiration is to have a coordinated announcement and we'll see if we're able to do that at the beginning of the middle of next week," Kent said during the event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington.
Kent added that Belarusian opposition figure Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has asked the United States not to interfere with the country's sovereign affairs.
"Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, when we met with her in Vilnius, made that request: the US should not impede on the sovereignty of Belarus," Kent said. "We agree. That's our policy and we think that should be the policy of every country, including Russia."
The EU is expected to announce sanctions on Belarus in the coming days. According to a source in Brussels, there are 40 Names on the EU sanctions manifest, but the list has not been finalized.
On August 9, the Belarusian opposition organized protests after disputing the results of the presidential election in which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko was reelected for a sixth term by winning 80 percent of the vote. The opposition insists that its candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won the election.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly accused Western nations of direct interference in the situation. Moscow has also voiced its concern over the signs of foreign interference in the internal affairs of Belarus.
