Sanctions against Belarus

Belarus Foreign Ministers Uladzimir Makei tells EU ambassadors Minsk regrets the prolongation of some restrictions on Belarus.

President Aliaksandr Lukashenka will pay an official visit to Italy and Vatican on May 20-21.

Canada says it will remove Belarus from the Area Control List, lifting sanctions that have been in place since December 2006.

Among the countries are Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The relevant message of the Council of the European Union appeared on Thursday, February 25.

Putin's spokesman Dzmitry Peskov says the policy of sanctions is defective and welcomes EU's move.

President Lukashenka says Minsk is pleased with the decision made in Brussels to lift most of the sanctions against Belarus.

Belarus has already looked for help in Moscow, Beijing and Brussels, says Poland's MEP.

MFA press secretary Dzmitry Mironchyk has commented on the removal of Belarus sanctions by the EU.