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FM Aurescu: Romania to allot EUR 100,000 to endorse independent journalism and civil society in Belarus
Romania supports the idea of a comprehensive list of sanctions for the Minsk regime, in the context of the tensions in Belarus, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said before the informal Gymnich meeting of EU foreign ministers, which is taking place on Thursday and Friday in Berlin.
"Romania is very concerned about the situation in Belarus. We have expressed our concerns about the regime's abuses against protesters and the opposition. For example, we are concerned about the recent detention of some representatives of the opposition's Coordinating Council and other protesters and I renew today Romania's call for specific sanctions against those responsible for electoral fraud and for abuses against the demonstrators," said Aurescu.
He added that "according to the figures presented by the opposition, before the elections, about 1,500 people were arrested, and after the elections - around 8,000 people".
"They also said that five people died during the protests, 600 people were injured and we must not forget the 37 political prisoners who are still imprisoned in Belarus. We must continue to demand their release," he said.
At the same time, he spoke about Romania's efforts to support civil society in this country. "We will discuss how we can support civil society in Belarus and I will announce that we have started the procedures for allocating 100,000 euros from Romania's International Development Assistance Fund, for supporting the independent media and civil society in Belarus," Aurescu said.
Possible sanctions are one of the topics on the agenda of the ministers' meeting in Berlin. "We support the idea of a comprehensive list of sanctions, and this is a topic of debate today," Bogdan Aurescu said.
The agenda of the Berlin meeting is broad, focusing on important EU foreign policy issues and also on recent developments in the neighborhood. The working sessions will address the situation in Belarus, EU-Turkey relations, including in the context of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and EU-Russia relations. The ministers will also discuss the geopolitical impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the EU's international role.