Belarus calls for lifting of all illegal restrictions worldwide 

MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) – Belarus has called for the complete lifting of all illegal restrictions not only in individual regions and countries but worldwide, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov said in his video address at the Conference on Humanitarian Action, Remedy and Responsibility in unilateral sanctions environment in Geneva, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The minister noted that illegal sanctions are not an instrument of morality, as they are often presented in official rhetoric. Behind the facade of loud statements about protecting values, human rights, and democracy lies a far more pragmatic logic: the logic of power, profit, and economic calculation. Maxim Ryzhenkov stressed that corrupt Western officials representing the interests of major oligarchs and transnational corporations use sanctions to eliminate strong competitors, push them out of global markets, and consolidate their dominance. In addition, sanction pressure is also aimed at forcing disfavored states backward in their development.

The minister also recalled the negative consequences of illegal sanctions for civilian populations in various regions of the world, especially those affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters. In the context of the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iran, Belarus called not only for an immediate ceasefire but also for ensuring unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance for all those in need, as well as for the protection of humanitarian personnel.

A separate emphasis was placed on sectoral sanctions. Attempts to restrict access to global markets for major suppliers of fertilizers, food producers, agricultural machinery manufacturers, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals are driving up prices. The minister stressed that in the longer term this will lead to reduced food production, already critically insufficient in some regions, worsening hunger, and increasing the risk of new epidemics.

Maxim Ryzhenkov concluded that no humanitarian exemptions or periodic reviews of sanctions regimes can resolve the negative impact of sanctions on human rights. In this regard, he called for the complete and unconditional lifting of all illegal restrictions that cause systemic harm and affect vulnerable groups not only in specific regions or countries but across the world.