Milinkevich on “black list” shortening: This is an absolutely correct step

These are just signals from Brussels to the official Minsk, and real steps will follow only after political prisoners are released.

The leader of the Movement for Freedom thinks that the changes in the EU 'black list' is a positive sign. Aliaksandr Milinkevich says that the list of travel banned should be dynamic: "This is an absolutely correct step. The list of travel banned should be dynamic, flexible, not set once and forever. Someone would appear and disappear from it, but the list will stay there until there are political prisoners in the country. Europe will not betray its principles”, - noted the politician in the talk with Euroradio.

Alongside with that, Aliaksandr Milinkevich feels sceptical about a possibility of rapid development of relations between Minsk and Brussels after shortening of the 'black list'. The politician thinks the Belarusan authorities don't need this until they have Moscow's support.

"I think this is a signal from Brussels. Diplomacy is a policy of small steps. Brussels demonstrates its readiness for changes. However, Minsk possesses the ball now, and Minsk is not ready for changes. Political prisoners must be released. No other game can mend the relations between Belarus and the EU. The other side is that Minsk is not interested in development of relations with Europe while it has Moscow's support”, - Milinkevich emphasized.

Let us recall that on October 28 it became known that the Council of the European Union had decided to prolong the sanctions against the Belarusan officials for a year.