Brussels, 02/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 2 March, the European Council invited the Council of the EU to pursue work on new measures against the Belarusian regime. European leaders expressed “serious and deepening concern over the further deterioration of the situation in Belarus”. They restated the EU's commitment to strengthening its engagement with Belarusian civil society and to supporting the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people.
The heads of state and government welcomed the decision reached by the General Affairs Council on 28 February to extend the list of persons subject to a travel ban and a freeze on their assets in the EU. Further to theses new measures, the Belarusian government “invited” EU representatives and the Polish ambassador in Minsk to leave the country, thus triggering a response from Europeans who thereupon recalled their ambassadors.
During his press conference, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk underlined that “Poland is not interested in the radicalisation of sanctions”. He welcomed coordinated and united action on the part of European states towards Belarus and said he hoped cooperation would continue for what comes next, including the return of ambassadors to Belarusian soil for which criteria have not yet been set in place. Tusk went on to add that all reactions must be coordinated so that Minsk is unable to divide the EU. He explained that he had received assurance of this from the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton. He added that a meeting would be held “during March” on Belarus. (CG and KG/transl.jl)