BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

06/04/2006

EU to slap travel ban on 31 Belarus officials

BRUSSELS - The European Union is preparing to slap a travel ban next week on 31 Belarus politicians and top officials including President Alexander Lukashenko, officials said Thursday.

EU foreign ministers are likely to agree the move at regular talks in Luxembourg on Monday, said the officials after the visa ban list was agreed by EU diplomats in preparatory talks in Brussels.

In the wake of contested March 19 Belarus polls which re-elected Lukashenko the EU agreed to bolster sanctions already in place against Minsk, currently including visa bans against six people but not Lukashenko himself.

Those newly targeted include members of the authoritarian Belarus leader's entourage, ministers and election commission officials, said one source, requesting anonymity.

For the moment the extended visa ban is the only measure likely to agreed, although the EU, which has described Belarus as a "sad exception" to democracy in Europe, has also vowed to consider trade sanctions against the country.

Source:

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=117672

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