Belarus to withdraw from readmission agreement with European Union / Article

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has submitted a bill to parliament demanding the suspension of an agreement with the European Union on the readmission of persons. Mr Lukashenko said the bill was a response to “unfriendly actions” by the European Union and its member states against Belarus.

The readmission agreement with the European Union governs the transfer, reception or return of persons who have violated the rules on entry, stay or residence to the other party.

The readmission agreement with the European Union was signed in the summer of 2020, shortly before the presidential election in Belarus, which was declared won by Lukashenko, sparking opposition protests and tensions in Belarus’s relations with the West. The readmission agreement served as a precondition for visa facilitation between the two parties.

For the first time, Belarus announced its suspension at the end of June, and it is expected that Belarus’ commitments will be temporarily suspended in the near future. Minsk points out that international law has not been violated, as each party has the right to suspend the agreement completely or temporarily, provided that the other party is formally notified.

The European Union presented a diplomatic démarche to Minsk on Wednesday, citing the fact that the number of illegal border crossings has increased almost 50 times this year. The Communication emphasizes that irregular migration must not be used as a tool for political trade.

CONTEXT:

In the summer of 2021 the number of migrants has increased significantly, which is trying to enter the territory of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland from Belarus. Most migrants have come from Iraq.

Lithuanian officials pointed out that the Belarusian authorities deliberately does not constitute an obstacle to the crossing of the borderto punish Lithuania for supporting the Belarusian opposition and imposing sanctions on the Alexander Lukashenko regime. The Baltic states describe such actions as the spread of a hybrid war against the European Union. President of the European Parliament pointed out that the EU must help solve the situation with migrants, the problem is also topical in Latvia.

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