BRUSSELS, October 29 (Itar-Tass) - The European Union has automatically extended its sanctions against Belarus till late October 2014 over lack of progress in the human rights situation in that country, according to a statement of the EU Council circulated here on Tuesday.

The package of sanctions against Belarus includes a black list of Belarusian leaders and big business figures, who are banned to enter the European Union. Apart from that, European businesses are banned to do business with a number of Belarusian companies. It is also prohibited to export police hardware and double use equipment that can be used as instruments of repression in Belarus.