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EU lifts sanctions on 170 Belarus officials EU lifts sanctions on 170 Belarus officials
(35 minutes later)
BRUSSELS — The European Union has lifted restrictive sanctions on 170 Belarus officials to reward the east European nation for its constructive role in the region but maintained the arms embargo for another year. BRUSSELS — In an opening toward authoritarian Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the European Union on Monday lifted restrictive sanctions on 170 officials to reward the east European nation for a more constructive role in a region still under the influence of Moscow.
Asset freeze and travel ban measures against the 170 had already been suspended last year and a meeting of the EU foreign ministers decided to do away with them on Monday. Asset freezes and travel bans against Lukashenko and 169 others had been suspended last year and Monday’s meeting of the EU foreign ministers decided to fully do away with them.
At the same time, the EU nations maintained sanctions against four indivduals liked to unsolved disappearances. At the same time, the EU nations maintained sanctions against four individuals linked to unsolved disappearances of two opposition leaders, a journalist and a businessman.
In a statement, the ministers said that the release of all remaining political prisoners and the lack of violence during the October presidential elections contributed to the decision.In a statement, the ministers said that the release of all remaining political prisoners and the lack of violence during the October presidential elections contributed to the decision.
“There is an opportunity for EU-Belarus relations to develop on a more positive agenda and that progress in a variety of fields can better be achieved through enhanced channels of communication,” the ministers said.
It was the latest EU move that could contribute to the end of the decade-long international isolation of Lukashenko.
Lukashenko was slapped with an EU and U.S. travel ban in 2006 when a presidential candidate was jailed. The 2010 presidential election ended in a big opposition rally and lengthy prison sentences for most of the candidates who opposed Lukashenko who has been in office since 1994.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.