The French government will support initiatives to tighten sanctions against Belarus if such proposals are voiced by other members of the EU, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Monday
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th June, 2021) The French government will support initiatives to tighten sanctions against Belarus if such proposals are voiced by other members of the EU, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Monday.
"I do not have exact information. But we share your analysis of the situation in Belarus, which requires a very firm reaction from the European Union. And if the initiatives in the direction you are talking about are adopted, they will find the support of the French government," Castex said during the Franco-German parliamentary assembly when asked if new sanctions against Belarus are being considered.
The West has repeatedly criticized and introduced sanctions against Minsk after a presidential election in August of the last year, which saw President Alexander Lukashenko secure his sixth term in a row. His victory prompted a wave of national dismay and led to mass protests, which turned into countrywide violent unrest, marked by harsh clashes between demonstrators and the police.
Tensions have recently escalated over alleged human rights violations after Minsk ordered the landing of a Ryanair flight and arrested a dissident journalist, Raman Pratasevich.
For its part, Belarus has introduced retaliatory measures against the Western countries, accusing them of trying to destabilize the country.
