Belarus cuts cooperation on migration with EU over sanctions

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus on Monday retaliated to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials.

The EU on Thursday slapped new bruising economic sanctions on Belarus over last month's diversion of a passenger jet to arrest a dissident journalist. The sanctions target the country's top export items, including potash — a common fertilizer ingredient, petroleum products and tobacco industry exports.

Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has denounced the EU sanctions as part of a “hybrid war” waged by the West against Belarus.

On Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that Belarus would move to suspend a readmission agreement with the EU that is intended to stem illegal migration. The announcement follows Lukashenko’s warning that his country will no longer try to stem a flow of illegal migrants to the European Union.

“We note with deep regret that the forced suspension of the agreement will have a negative impact on cooperation with the EU in the field of combating illegal migration and organized crime,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier this month, officials in Lithuania accused Belarus of opening the doors for migrants to cross their shared 680-kilometer (420-mile) border.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the government will also impose a travel ban on unspecified EU officials who were involved in drafting the sanctions against Belarus, recall its envoy to the EU for consultations and ask the EU representative in Minsk, Dirk Schuebel, to leave the country.

In addition to that, Belarus will suspend its participation in the EU’s Eastern Partnership program, which was intended to strengthen cooperation with several ex-Soviet nations.

Belarus has been rocked by months...