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Belarusian president won’t kick out Western diplomats due to sanctions

Earlier, the EU imposed the fifth package of sanctions on Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Sergei Sheleg/BelTA/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

© Sergei Sheleg/BelTA/TASS

MINSK, December 3. / TASS /. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the country’s leadership was not going to expel Western diplomats amid the new sanctions.

"We will not kick out anyone. We are going to do it in a civilized manner in line with the norms of international law," the BelTA news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying.

"If we declare you persona non grata, you will have time to [pack] your bags and leave," the head of state noted. "We are not going to take away your luggage and its contents," Lukashenko stated.

On December 2, the EU imposed the fifth package of sanctions on Belarus, which included some 17 individuals and 11 organizations. The US Department of the Treasury also introduced some restrictions on the Belarusian government debt securities. Furthermore, amid the migration crisis and alleged infringement of public freedoms in the republic, some 20 individuals, 12 legal entities and three aircraft were slapped to sanctions. The leadership of the EU, the UK and Canada also declared some additional penalties. In turn, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, during the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting, said that Belarus was being subject to sanctions for revealing "the dark side of European democracy."

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Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

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