MINSK, 1 September (BelTA) – Sanctions of the European Union and the aviation embargo against Belarus contradict international law. Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the OSCE Andrei Lozovik made the statement at a session of the OSCE's Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC) on 1 September, BelTA has learned. The diplomat made the statement after Lithuania mentioned Belarus in the context of transnational threats.
Andrei Lozovik said: “The introduction of sanctions, including sectoral economic sanctions and the aviation embargo, against Belarus by the European Union contradicts international law and OSCE commitments.”
According to Andrei Lozovik, the European Union is phasing out projects for transboundary cooperation in border affairs and international technical aid projects. The actions are having a considerable effect on the situation and limit Belarus' ability to physically stop the flow of people fleeing war and famine in their countries. “We've repeatedly contacted the European Commission with proposals to arrange the relevant consultations, however, we've received no responses so far,” the diplomat stated. “One can invent stories about hybrid warfare all they like but the border should be a line of cooperation and any border-related problems can be successfully resolved only through a mutually respectful dialogue.”
Andrei Lozovik pointed out that growing drugs smuggling represents a serious challenge to common security. It is also necessary to work together to address this problem.
The diplomat went on saying: “We would like to once again note that the process under consideration represents a constant common challenge to the OSCE member states. It can be countered by joint efforts instead of the construction of fences and the deepening of ‘dividing lines' in the OSCE space in the form of sanctions, closed skies, and so on. We've always been and will be a reliable partner in various areas of cooperation but without detriment to Belarus' national interests. This approach requires reciprocal constructive steps.”
In his words, it seems to the Belarusian side that with its constant leaks and persistent attempts to shift all the blame onto Belarus Lithuania is just trying to camouflage its unwillingness to welcome migrants and observe their rights.
