Sweden wants to see sanctions against Lukashenko - but continued stalemate in the EU
2020-09-26T12:27:07.372Z
According to Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S), the Swedish government wants to impose sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in as president on 23 September during a secret ceremony. - It will of course have consequences that Lukashenko has now installed himself as president. He has also not previously shown any interest in either meeting the opposition's demands or having a dialogue with the opposition, says Linde. Both the EU and Sweden have been clear that they do not approve of the outcome of the Belarusian presidential election and already today there is a virtually unanimous decision in the EU on sanctions against Belarus. But it is being blocked by Cyprus, which is demanding that the EU also impose sanctions on Turkey before backing sanctions against Belarus. - It is very unfortunate because you should make these decisions entirely on your own merits and introduce the sanctions, says Ann Linde. The violence continues At the same time, the police's violent interventions against the peaceful protesters in the country continue. Among other things, the violence has received harsh criticism from the UN, which in a resolution from last week condemned the police's actions. According to Martin Uggla, chairman of the Eastern Group for Democracy and Human Rights in Belarus, it is clear that President Lukashenko is setting the standard for security measures. - It is very centrally controlled in Belarus and there is no doubt that it is Lukashenko who decides how hard to proceed against the protesters, he says. "Sweden has an important role to play" In its role as future chair of the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Sweden has offered to facilitate a dialogue between the opposition and Lukashenko, but the regime has so far declined the invitation. Despite this, Martin Uggla believes that it is very important that Sweden shows continued commitment to development in the country. - I believe that Sweden, which has traditionally prioritized human rights in its foreign policy, has a particularly important role to play, he says.
Source: svt