The Foreign Ministry of Belarus says it "regrets" a decision by seven European countries to join an EU sanctions regime against Minsk.
The comment comes after EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced that Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro had joined an EU regime of economic and visa sanctions aimed at pressuring the Belarusian government.
Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Savinykh said the sanctions "seed mistrust and hamper the real resolution of issues in dispute."
The EU sanctions, which ban a number of Belarusian officials from traveling to the bloc and have frozen their assets on EU territory, are aimed at pressuring Minsk to reverse its crackdown on civil society and release all political prisoners.
The comment comes after EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced that Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro had joined an EU regime of economic and visa sanctions aimed at pressuring the Belarusian government.
Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Savinykh said the sanctions "seed mistrust and hamper the real resolution of issues in dispute."
The EU sanctions, which ban a number of Belarusian officials from traveling to the bloc and have frozen their assets on EU territory, are aimed at pressuring Minsk to reverse its crackdown on civil society and release all political prisoners.