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Council of Eurasian Economic Commission calls on EU to abolish sanctions against Belarus

The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia expressed concern about the European Union’s sanctions against Belarus in a statement adopted at its meeting in Moscow on April 25, said the press office of the Belarusian foreign ministry.

“Given the high level of cooperation between the economies of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, such sanctions may cause damage to companies in the Customs Union,” reads the statement. “They hamper the development of efficient, mutually beneficial cooperation and have negative consequences for business entities and ordinary citizens in the first place, creating artificial barriers to trade and business activities.”

“The Eurasian Economic Commission calls on all countries that use sanctions, including the European Union, to drop the practice of economic pressure and address the differences in the interstate relations at hand through a dialogue in accordance with the principles of mutual respect,” the statement says.

Deputy Prime Minister Syarhey Rumas led Belarus’ delegation to the meeting. Items on the agenda also included the operation of the Commission in the member countries and a proposal to extend until July 1, 2019 the deadline for the abolition of reduced duty rates on civil aircraft imported by Belarus and Kazakhstan. //BelaPAN