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“Heads of state and government asked us on Monday to propose sanctions for economic sectors, which we are not used to in the EU,” Borrell said in an interview on Wednesday on the eve of an informal meeting of foreign ministers.
“Belarus exports a large quantity of potash fertilizers, worth 2.5 billion dollars. They are transported through the Baltic countries.” It is easy to control exports if you want, “said the EU chief of diplomacy.
“Gas also comes to mind, it reaches Europe through Belarus. The gas could be supplied to Europe through another pipeline and Belarus would lose transit fees. It’s not insignificant, “Borrell said.
Lukashenko sparked outrage from the international community in Minsk on Sunday by forcibly landing a plane from Athens to Vilnius and arresting former opposition activist Roaman Protasevich and his friend Sofia Sapega.
EU leaders have agreed not to allow Belarusian airlines and have recommended that EU airlines avoid Belarusian airspace.
EU leaders also called on Borrell to propose more “targeted economic sanctions” against the Belarusian authorities. To date, 88 regime officials and seven companies have been sanctioned for violently treating protesters.
“Hijacking a plane to intercept one of the passengers requires a strong response. We made a decision about the airline on Monday and it will be felt. However, European leaders have asked me to take more action. If we do not now use the language of power It will be a great proof that we don’t want to do it, ”said J. Borrell.
“European officials are still hesitant about economic sanctions, but this time we really need to take action so that Lukashenko really feels the impact,” he said.
“I don’t think the decision will take a long time. If we want, we can do it quickly,” he said.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Portugal on Thursday will discuss possible sanctions on Belarus, but a final solution is not yet expected, Borrell said.
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