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In retaliation Minsk expands list of persons prohibited from entering Belarus, Russia

On December 2, the EU enforced the fifth package of sanctions against Belarus

MINSK, December 6. /TASS/. In retaliation against Western sanctions Belarus has expanded the lists of persons prohibited from entering its territory and the Union State, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

"The lists of persons whose entry into the Republic of Belarus and the Union State is undesirable from the countries that systematically discriminate against Belarusian officials, journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations have been expanded," reads the statement uploaded to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s website.

The European Union on December 2 enforced the fifth package of sanctions against Belarus. It applies to 17 individuals and 11 organizations. Sanctions were taken against some employees of government-run Belarusian mass media. The Belarusian Ministry of Information then said that it regarded the introduction of Western sanctions against some representatives of Belarusian mass media as a violation of universally recognized standards of journalism and as an act of censorship.

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