Belarus Foreign Ministry on Tuesday warned European countries against reintroducing sanctions on the former Soviet republic in the wake of a harsh crackdown last month on opposition politicians, the Belapan news agency reported. "This is a counterproductive position that has already proved its futility in the past decade," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh was quoted as saying.
"From our side we call for a sober evaluation of the situation and a continuation of constructive dialogue at all levels." Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on Monday called for reinstating a ban on travel to the European Union by Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko because of the arrest of opposition politicians and demonstrators after the December poll, in which Lukashenko was re-elected to the scepticism of many observers. The imposition of such a ban is also being considered by Berlin, the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported Tuesday. A ban instituted in 2006 was later lifted after the release of prominent political prisoners. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other observers roundly criticised the December presidential poll. Last week, Minsk threatened to close the OSCE's Belarusian offices.