Belarus is ready to respond to possible EU sanctions by taking measures that will affect the work of foreign media operating in the country, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Friday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2020) Belarus is ready to respond to possible EU sanctions by taking measures that will affect the work of foreign media operating in the country, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Friday.
The European Parliament on Thursday refused to recognize Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as the winner of the recent presidential election and called for sanctions on the country's current leadership for alleged voter fraud and punitive measures against those protesting the election's outcome.
"If there are some kind of sanctions adopted against Belarus, I think the Belarusian state will take appropriate steps connected to the state's domestic political functions if you will. This may involve the political system, and functioning of foreign media, which have accreditation in Belarus, and a number of other steps," Makei told journalists at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.
On September 21, the EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the issue of personalized sanctions against Belarusian officials.
"We are prepared for that. We will never initiate any actions aimed at undermining our relations with our important partner, the European Union, and individual [EU] members. We are definitely ready to provide an adequate response to such destructive actions," Makei added.
Belarus has been gripped by protests since the presidential election, as a result of which President Alexander Lukashenko was elected for his sixth consecutive term. The opposition did not recognize the results, claiming that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was the true winner.
