MINSK, August 21. /TASS/. European sanctions against Belarus cause damage to its security, and Minsk will counter such "unfriendly actions," Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said in a statement on Friday.
"We will not be able to view that (sanctions - TASS) otherwise than unfriendly actions that cause damage to the sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus, and we will counter them," he stressed.
Makei assured that Belarus would weather these sanctions describing them as a waste of time. "These are not the first sanctions in our history, and our story will not end there. We will weather them just as the previous ones. You know what their effect will be like. All of us will be sure to waste time. We will lose the rhythm that our countries and societies need, even more so in the modern fast-paced world," he noted.
The minister added that there were still prospects for normal relations with Europe. "I still believe in the possibilities and prospects for normal, good-neighborly and civilized interstate relations between our countries, because that benefits everyone: Belarus, Europe and all of Eurasia," he pointed out.
Belarus held its presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission’s final data, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.10% of the vote, whereas Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was considered his key rival, garnered 10.12% of the ballot. Subsequently, she refused to recognize the outcome of the polls.
After the results of exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests flared up in downtown Minsk and other cities, which spiraled into clashes with police.
The EU emergency summit on Belarus held on August 19 did not recognize the outcome of the presidential election in that country and promised to impose sanctions on a considerable number of Belarusian officials soon.