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Non-Aligned Movement expresses concern over US sanctions against Belarus

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has expressed «serious concern» over US sanctions against Belarus and its petrochemical conglomerate Belnaftakhim (Belneftekhim), BelaPAN reports.

«The Non-Aligned Movement confirms the necessity to refuse from taking unilateral economic and trade measures by one state in respect to another state, which hamper free development of international trade,» says a statement adopted by the NAM Coordinating Bureau in New York on March 20 and fully supported by all NAM member states, according to the Belarusian foreign ministry.

“The Non-Aligned Movement strongly urges the states which have passed and continue using such laws and measures to refrain from spreading and applying them in accordance with their obligations under the UN Charter and international law, which in addition secure the regulations on free trade,” the statement says.

Belarus is the only European country among the 118 members of the Non-Aligned Movement, an association of states that consider themselves not formally aligned with or opposed to any bloc.

The US Treasury Department announced in November 2007 that any assets found in the United States that belong to Belnaftakhim should be frozen. Apart from Belnaftakhim, the department's sanctions targeted the conglomerate’s representative offices in Germany, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia and China, as well as a US subsidiary identified as Belneftekhim USA, Inc. The sanctions also barred US citizens from doing business with Belnaftakhim and its offices.

In early March, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a statement with regard to the applicability of the sanctions.

“U.S. persons who have or who are contemplating business relationships with entities in which Belneftekhim owns, directly or indirectly, a 50% or greater interest should be aware that the property and interest in property of such entities are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13405 [Executive Order of June 16, 2006], regardless of whether the entities themselves are listed in the annex of E.O. 13405 or otherwise placed on OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals,” OFAC said in the statement.