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EU suspends anti-Belarus sanctions for 4 months — European Council

Four persons involved in unresolved disappearances in Belarus remain subject to restrictive measures, the arms embargo also continues to apply

© AP Photo/Sergei Grits, Archive

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Belarus Foreign Ministry: Minsk has no "rosy expectations" about relations with EU

BRUSSELS, October 29. /TASS/. The European Union (EU) is suspending sanctions imposed against Belarus for 4 months, press service of the Council of the EU reported on Thursday.

"The Council has suspended for four months the asset freeze and travel ban applying to 170 individuals and the asset freeze applying to three entities in Belarus. This decision was taken in response to the release of all Belarusian political prisoners on 22 August and in the context of improving EU-Belarus relations," the report said.

Restrictive measures against persons and entities were due to expire on 31 October. The Council has prolonged these measures for four months, until 29 February 2016, and at the same time suspended them for 170 persons and for three entities. Four persons involved in unresolved disappearances in Belarus remain subject to restrictive measures. The arms embargo also continues to apply, the report said.

The Council also updated the list of persons and entities to take account of recent case law.

The decision was adopted by written procedure. Legal acts, including details on the persons and entities concerned, enter into force on 31 October.

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