EU Imposes Sanctions Against Belarus
Source : The Hindu
GS III : Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment
Why in News ?
European countries have moved to sanction Belarus and ban its state airline from flying to Europe as they sought to punish President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime for forcing a Ryanair passenger flight to land in the country so it could arrest a leading dissident onboard.
Key Facts
- Belarus allegedly used a false bomb threat to divert the airliner to its capital Minsk.
- To arrest a 26-year-old Belarusian blogger who played a key role in last year’s mass protests against Lukashenko.
- Incident called the incident air piracy and state-sponsored hijacking.
- Many other countries announced that their flights are currently avoiding Belarus airspace.
Earlier Sanctions
- 2004 : EU first introduced restrictive measures against Belarus following the disappearance of two opposition politicians, a journalist and a businessman several years earlier.
- 2006/2008 : US also imposed targeted financial sanctions.
- 2020 : EU and the United States financial sanctions as a result of crack down.
How this sanction affect Belarus ?
- European Union member states agreed quickly to drawing up fresh individual and targeted economic sanctions against Belarus.
- Landlocked eastern European nation and for Belarus’ airlines to be banned from flying in Europe reduce its access to other countries.
- The EU had a 3 billion Euro investment package ready for Belarus that it will now freeze until the country turns democratic.
About Belarus
- A landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest.
- Politics : Belarus has often been described as Europe’s last dictatorship due to its authoritarian government.
- Belarus declared itself sovereign on 27 July 1990 once the part of Soviet Union.
- In 2020 after Lukashenko was announced as the winner in elections mass protests broke out in the capital which was met with a violent security crackdown leads to EU sanctions.
- Belarus–India relations
- Both countries are members of the Non Aligned Movement.
- India was one of the first few countries to recognise Belarus independence.
- India supports Belarus for its membership in the NAM (Non-Alignment Movement) and in IPU
- Belarus supports India at the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) and for the permanent membership in United Nations Security Council.
- Many agreements were signed which include
- Exchange of students
- Promotion of tourism
- Science & technology cooperation
- Indian art and culture, dance, yoga, Ayurved, films, etc. remain popular among Belarusian nationals.
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