MINSK, 8 September (BelTA) - Belarus will not put up with groundless actions that violate the foundations of international law, no matter from whom they come, Ekaterina Serafinovich, a member of the Council of the Republic, told BelTA while commenting on the president's decision to submit a bill to suspend the agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the European Union on the readmission of individuals, who stay without permission, to the House of Representatives.
“Recently, our country has come under a lot of pressure from the EU, under which any weaker country would cease to exist as as independent, sovereign state that independently determines its domestic and foreign policy. Belarus has demonstrated stability and resilience and has not changed its peace-loving foreign policy. Belarus strictly complies with all the treaties and agreements it has signed and views the fulfillment of its obligations as a priority in the international arena," the senator said. “No one would even talk about the need to suspend the current agreement between Belarus and the EU, if not for the pressure that the West continues to exert on our country."
Ekaterina Serafinovich described the decision to suspend the agreement as a forced step that can be canceled if the EU stops its attempts to stir up tensions in Belarus.
“After all, it has been said more than once: the Belarusian people will determine their future by themselves. Unfortunately, the West does hear us. Hence the migration crisis on the border of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and the economic losses of these countries. We admit that this state of affairs is not good for Belarus either. Although there is one upside. This situation shows that Belarus will not put up with groundless actions that violate all the foundations of international law, no matter from whom they come, and that the policy of force and aggression applied against us is a double-edged sword which can destabilize the situation in the region,” the senator believes. “I would call the president's decision to send the bill in the House of Representatives as a mirror measure in response to the actions of Brussels and the EU countries."
As BelTA reported earlier, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has decided to send a bill on suspending the agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the European Union on the readmission of individuals, who stay without permission, to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly. The document was prepared by the government in response to the unfriendly actions of the European Union and its member states towards Belarus.
The agreement stipulates the procedure for transferring, accepting, and returning the individuals, who violate terms of entry, stay, and residence. Belarus' corresponding obligations will be put on hold soon.
Belarus' decision is compliant with international law. The agreement stipulates that each side can partially or fully suspend the agreement temporarily by officially notifying the other side.
