MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the new sanctions imposed against Minsk by the US, the UK and Canada on Monday and announced its own measures in response.
"The Foreign Ministry resolutely condemns the coercive measures taken against Belarus <…> by the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada on August 9," the agency said in a statement, adding that Minsk will review the new restrictions and take "appropriate measures to respond."
"The unilateral measures imposed by the US, the UK and Canada against our country run counter to the UN Charter and international law as well as their OSCE obligations," the ministry added.
"Hiding behind hypocritical slogans of protecting human rights and democracy, our Western opponents in reality are guided by methodical geopolitical interests," the statement notes. "The only thing that is sought by the West is to change the people in power in Belarus in open disregard of the Belarusian people’s expression of will."
The Belarusian ministry recalled that the US and the UK were among the countries that signed the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, assuming the responsibility to avoid economic coercion aimed at taming the rights of Belarus that are inherent in its sovereignty. At the same time, the statement notes that Minsk seeks open and equal dialogue with the West which should be built on international law and international communication rather than sanctions and pressure.
On Monday, the US, the UK and Canada imposed economic sanctions against Minsk, explaining that these measures comes in response to violation of human rights. The US particularly slapped sanctions on dozens of Belarusian companies, including Belaruskali as well as the National Olympic Committee and the Investigative Committee of the country. In turn, London imposed trade measures against potash and petroleum products, ban on acquisition of several bonds issued by Belarus and its state banks, giving loans to Minsk and provision of insurance services. Canada imposed sectoral sanctions against Belarus which will particularly affect petroleum and potash products.