Belarus stands for a constructive and mutually respectful Russian-US dialogue, since it has a significant impact on security and stability in the region, Anatoly Glaz, a spokesman of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik on Friday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2021) Belarus stands for a constructive and mutually respectful Russian-US dialogue, since it has a significant impact on security and stability in the region, Anatoly Glaz, a spokesman of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik on Friday.
On Thursday, the administration of US President Joe Biden announced it would expel 10 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on dozens of Russian nationals and companies for their alleged interference in the 2020 US presidential election and the purported hacking of US software supply chain networks. It also moved to raise Russia's borrowing costs by barring US entities from buying bonds directly from Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow's response was "inevitable."
"In principle, we believe, and have said more than once about this, that sanctions are a deliberately useless and counterproductive tool. Moreover, in fact, it is deliberate sabotage," Glaz said, adding that the new measures will bring nothing "but harm."
The spokesman also said that Minsk is against this kind of communication.
"We are against this style of communication and are in favor of a constructive and mutually respectful Russian-American dialogue," Glaz said, adding that the US-Russia relations are especially important as it "has a significant impact on security and stability in our region."
In addition, the spokesman said that Minsk sees US sanctions on Russia as a signal for intensifying cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
"For us, this is also another clear indicator of whether some of our partners can be trusted, as well as a signal for even more active development of cooperation with self-reliance within the EAEU and other integration associations," Glaz said.
