EU: Walkout from the Eastern Partnership Will Further Isolate Belarus

Brussels regrets the decision of the Lukashenko regime to suspend Belarus' participation in the Eastern Partnership, but promises further support to the Belarusian people. Brussels regrets the decision of Alexander Lukashenko's regime to suspend Belarus' participation in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative of the European Union. This is stated in a response to a request by DW, received on Monday, June 28, from the EU spokesperson for foreign affairs Nabila Massrali. Brussels recalled that the initiative is aimed at deepening and strengthening relations between the EU, its member states and partner countries with a common goal - to bring concrete benefits to the citizens of these countries. Minsk's decision will serve only to "further isolate Belarus and is yet another demonstration of the regime's disregard for the Belarusian people who enjoy the advantages of cooperation and various programs within the framework of the Eastern Partnership," Massrali stressed. "The Belarusian authorities have taken another step to self-isolate" The EU foreign policy spokesperson separately dwelled on the situation in which the head of the EU Delegation to Belarus Dirk Schuebel was requested to return to Brussels "for consultations." According to Nabila Massrali, the Belarusian authorities have thus "made another step to self-isolate." "Keeping channels of communication open is crucial in times of crisis. This has always been our intention," she summed up. The head of the Council of Europe predicts further escalation of tensions In turn, the President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote on Twitter that, having made this decision, Belarus took "another step backwards." “This will lead to further escalation of tension and will have a clear negative impact on the people of Belarus, depriving them of the opportunities provided by our cooperation,” he stressed. Brussels intends to interact with civil society in Belarus EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell noted that - despite the decision of the Lukashenko regime - Brussels is ready to continue working "with the Belarusian people to strengthen the bonds, foster regional cooperation and tackle joint challenges." Tikhanovskaya: Democrats will continue to work with European partners Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, said that representatives of her team and democratic forces will continue to work with European partners. Everything will be done so that "in the Eastern Partnership projects, including this year's summit, our homeland is represented by those who really have the right to speak on behalf of the people," Tikhanovskaya wrote on the Telegram channel. Suspension of participation in the Eastern Partnership Earlier, on June 28, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry announced that Minsk would not fulfill its obligations within the EaP framework  amid the EU-imposed sanctions and restrictions. Belarus also banned entry to its territory "for representatives of European structures and persons from the European Union countries that contributed to the introduction of restrictive measures," and stated that it would continue to develop other countermeasures, including economic ones. EU sanctions against Lukashenko's regime On June 24, the EU approved new economic sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko's regime in Belarus. In particular, Brussels has banned the import of oil products and potash fertilizers from this country. In addition, the sanctions prohibit EU individuals and legal entities from selling, supplying or transferring products intended for such production of tobacco products. The European Union has imposed restrictions on access to its capital markets. In addition, it is prohibited to provide insurance services to the Belarusian government and state institutions and organizations. The European Investment Bank (EIB) will stop all financing of projects in the public sector of Belarus. A statement from the press service of the EU Council noted that the EU imposed new sanctions in response to "the escalation of serious human rights violations in Belarus, violent repression against civil society, democratic opposition and journalists, as well as the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk on May 23, 2021, and subsequent detention of journalist Roman Protasevich and Sophia Sapega."