Foreign Affairs Committee: Estonia’s sanctions policy towards Belarus has to be reviewed

NordenBladet —

At its sitting today, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) discussed Estonia’s sanctions policy towards Belarus with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets and found that the sanctions policy has to be reviewed.  

According to Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, the confusion surrounding Belarusian transit does not reflect well on Estonia and raises the question of whether the European Union has overlooked something in shaping of its sanctions policy.

Mihkelson said that this was not an issue that only concerned Estonia, as the European Union’s goal should be to formulate a sanctions policy that would really influence the Belarusian regime to release political prisoners, to implement the will of the Belarusian people by allowing free elections and to stop the constant threatening of neighbouring countries.

“This whole issue also has a much wider dimension, which relates to the overall security situation,” Mihkelson noted. “If we cannot even impose workable sanctions against Belarus, then what message does it send Russia?” 

Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Mihhail Lotman admitted that the Belarusian transit was not something mysterious, and it had been spoken about for months. “It presents us as hypocrites. Belarusian transit is not something we have to coordinate with, for example, with Portugal; this transit goes through Estonia, and it is our right and our duty to stop it. We are arguing with the Germans that Nord Stream 2 must not be allowed to go ahead, but we ourselves are letting both Belarusian and Russian goods through Estonia,” Lotman said.

Minister Liimets explained the Foreign Affairs Committee that the Government took the criticism seriously. According to the Minister, a complete discontinuation of economic relations with Belarus has not been declared, but measures have been sought to influence the regime and support civil society.  

Newspaper Eesti Päevaleht reported that, despite the sanctions, the volume of Belarusian oil products that have entered Estonia has tripled in monetary value.

Source: Parliament of Estonia