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EU approves fourth package of individual sanctions against Belarus, says source

The list includes 86 individuals and legal entities

BRUSSELS, June 21. /TASS/. The Council of the EU has approved a fourth package of individual sanctions against Belarus at the level of foreign ministers, the list includes 86 individuals and legal entities, a EU diplomatic source informed on Monday.

The Council of the EU has approved individual restrictive measures against Belarus, the source said, adding that they will enter into force after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said during the meeting that the sanctions would include 86 legal entities and individuals. He explained that the economic sanctions would not be approved today, they would be discussed during the meeting of EU leaders on June 24-25. The sanctions will be approved after the summit. Borrell said that the sanctions would concern Belarusian export to the EU, however, it was too early to talk about any specific sectors.

The current package of EU sanctions has been in development for a long time, however, its implementation was sped up after the emergency landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk and the arrest of one of its passengers, opposition blogger Roman Protasevich. Currently, EU states are discussing possible sectoral economic measures against Minsk that may include restrictions on export of Belarusian fertilizer to the EU.

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