BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/03/2008

Russia premier urges U.S. to review sanctions against Belarus

The FINANCIAL -- According to RIA Novosti, Russia's prime minister said on March 21 that MOSCOW regards U.S. sanctions against Belarus as political and urged Washington to review them.

Washington imposed sanctions in November against Belarus's national petrochemical company Belneftekhim, freezing the company's assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

"We discussed today the U.S. administration's decision to extend sanctions against Belarus's national petrochemical company Belneftekhim. Russia believes the step is political," Viktor Zubkov said. "We are calling on Washington to review its policy toward Belarus and its businesses."

Zubkov, on a visit to Minsk, said Washington continues to pressurize Belarus despite "positive steps by the Belarusian leadership, such as the gradual development of a market economy."

Washington, which has dubbed the ex-Soviet state "Europe's last dictatorship," also banned all dealings between Americans and Belneftekhim over Minsk's refusal to release political prisoners.

Belarus said the sanctions breached a bilateral trade deal, designed to give better access for Belarusian goods and services, as well as a "memorandum of security assurances" the countries signed after Belarus agreed to be a non-nuclear state.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador earlier this month for consultations and demanded that the U.S. cut by half the number of staff at its embassy in Belarus.

The U.S. and the European Union have accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of clamping down on dissent, stifling the media and rigging elections. Lukashenko, who was re-elected to a third term in 2006, and other senior Belarusian officials have been blacklisted from entering the U.S. and EU.

Lukashenko said the U.S. sanctions were caused by Belarus' economic ties with Venezuela. In December, a joint Belarusian-Venezuelan oil production company was established there, with plans to produce about 7 million tons (51.45 million bbl) of oil annually, 40% will go to Belarus and 60% to Venezuela.

Source:

http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8903&Itemid=13

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