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Poland may impose sanctions against Belarusian companies that finance Lukashenka regime

Poland may impose economic sanctions against Belarusian companies that finance the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters on Friday in Bydgoszcz, Poland, where he was meeting with the two other Weimar Triangle foreign ministers, Alaine Juppe of France and Guido Westerwelle of Germany.

“We’ll step up pressure on the Belarusian regime until it changes its course,” Mr. Sikorski said. “This means very clear sanctions against specific companies, not a general embargo but what can make life difficult for the companies that finance this regime."

Mr. Sikorski noted that the situation in Belarus would be discussed at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union’s member countries on May 23.

The ministers are expected to consider enlarging the EU’s list of Belarusian officials subject to entry bans and asset freezes, and may introduce economic sanctions against companies in Belarus in response to prison sentences currently handed out to opponents of the Lukashenka government.

The sanctions are expected to target, among others, state petrochemical conglomerate Belnaftakhim, petroleum product exporter Triple, potash giant Belaruskali and Beltechexport, an exporter of weapons and military equipment. //BelaPAN