At the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels today, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu called on his colleagues to adopt a third package of sanctions against Belarusian officials immediately, adding companies that support the regime to the list.
“The people of Belarus are waiting for a change; they have not given up on fighting for democracy. We as the European Union play an important role in standing up for the people of Belarus. The situation in the country remains extremely serious, the pressure of authorities on their own people is increasing, and that is why we must take specific steps to support the people of Belarus,” Reinsalu said. “I call on EU countries to impose a third package of sanctions against Belarusian officials immediately, including companies that support the regime,” the foreign minister said.
Developing transatlantic relations was one of the central topics of the meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers. Foreign Minister Reinsalu welcomed the development of the European Union’s updated transatlantic agenda. “The United States is and remains our closest ally and partner. Our dialogue must be ambitious and focus on security cooperation, multilateralism, strengthening democracy, climate change and trade issues,” Foreign Minister Reinsalu said. He added that Estonia was participating actively in developing transatlantic relations, highlighting the role of the United States in ensuring the security of Europe and the importance of cooperation between the European Union and NATO.
The foreign affairs ministers also discussed the situation in Georgia after parliamentary elections. “We hope to see a dialogue between the current government and the opposition. The most important consideration in this process is respecting the rule of law and democracy,” Foreign Minister Reinsalu emphasised.
The ministers also touched upon the situation in Venezuela, Turkey and Hong Kong.
The upcoming Human Rights Day on 10 December was marked at the meeting today. The foreign affairs ministers also adopted restrictive measures targeting those responsible for serious human rights violations, which allows the European Union to act more flexibly and efficiently in this field: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/12/07/eu-adopts-a-global-human-rights-sanctions-regime/
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
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