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UK slaps Belarus with new economic sanctions — government

"These sanctions demonstrate that the UK will not accept Lukashenko’s actions since the fraudulent election," UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab AP Photo/Matt Dunham
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
© AP Photo/Matt Dunham

LONDON, August 9. /TASS/. The United Kingdom introduces a new package of economic, trade and aviation sanctions against the government of Belarus in connection with "the continued undermining of democracy and human rights violations," the UK government said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

"These sanctions demonstrate that the UK will not accept Lukashenko’s actions since the fraudulent election. The products of Lukashenko’s state-owned industries will not be sold in the UK, and our aerospace companies will not touch his fleet of luxury aircraft," UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.

New sanctions comprise "trade measures on potash, petroleum products, interception and monitoring goods and technology, goods used in cigarette manufacturing, and dual-use goods and technology," the document said. Purchases of transferable securities and money-market instruments issued by the Belarusian state and by state-owned banks, and the provision of loans are prohibited.

The package of sanctions also includes "aviation measures to prevent Belarusian air carriers from overflying or landing in the UK" and a ban on the provision of technical assistance to aircraft from the fleet of the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The government of the United Kingdom also introduced sanctions on Monday against Russian businessman Mikhail Gutseriev due to his ties with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. Gutseriev was included into the sanction list for Belarus, updated on Monday and posted on the government’s website.

"Mikhail Gutseriev is a prominent Russian businessman who is one of the main private investors in Belarus and a longstanding associate of Alexander Lukashenko, who is responsible for serious violations of human rights in Belarus. Gutseriev has provided support for the Government of Belarus and its serious human rights violations and repression of civil society and democratic opposition, including through use of his business interests," the document says.