Cyprus Blocked again EU Sanctions against Belarus

At the meeting of the ambassadors of the EU member states in Brussels, the representative of Cyprus vetoed the draft sanctions against Minsk. So Nicosia seeks introducing EU penalties against Turkey. Cyprus has again blocked the EU sanctions against Belarus. The representative of Nicosia vetoed the draft penalty measures on Friday, September 18, at a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper) in Brussels. "Such a Nicosia step protects the Lukashenko regime from consequences of its undemocratic and oppressive actions," the dpa agency quoted the European diplomat who wished to remain anonymous. At the same time, Cyprus explained its opposition to sanctions against Belarus by the desire to achieve introducing EU penalties against Turkey, which is exploring for gas in the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Paris supported Nicosia. On the same day, it became known that the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clement Bon, supported the position of Cyprus on the issue of sanctions against Ankara. Sanctions should be among the options that the EU will consider if Turkey continues to "threaten the security and sovereignty" of Cyprus, Bon said after talks with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis. EU warships in the Mediterranean The conflict between Turkey on the one side and Greece and Cyprus on the other flared up in the summer, when Ankara sent the research vessel Oruc Reis to conduct exploration work near the Greek island of Kastelorizo, accompanied by military vessels. As a result, the Turkish and Greek armed forces were put on high alert. EU sanctions against Belarus The EU sanctions list includes about 40 people responsible for Belarusian elections rigging and violence against peaceful demonstrators. It cannot come into force for about two weeks now, since the decision on this must be taken unanimously all the 27 EU countries. Cyprus has already vetoed the planned sanctions on September 10.