German Foreign Minister: Suspension of EU’s sanctions against Minsk is a credit of trust for Belarus

The EU gave the benefit of the doubt to Belarusian authorities by suspending the application of its restrictive measures against them, assumes German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The further normalization of relations between Germany and Belarus is in the interests of both countries, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said meeting with his Belarusan counterpart Uladzimir Makei in Berlin on November 18. 

Dr. Steinmeier pointed out that Mr. Makei’s visit to Germany was the first one by the Belarusian foreign minister for many years, BelaPAN quotes him saying. He described the visit as an “important signal” and expressed confidence that the West and Belarus could gradually mend fences. 
According to Dr. Steinmeier, his meeting with Mr. Makei became possible because of the fact that the political prisoners in Belarus had been released and this year`s presidential election had passed off peacefully, despite failing to meet the European standards in full. It is now necessary to create an atmosphere of confidence for mutual rapprochement, Dr. Steinmeier said. The suspension of the EU’s restrictive measures against Minsk is a “credit of trust” for Belarus, he added. 
Let us recall that on October 29, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union decided to suspend the application of its restrictive measures against 171 Belarusian individuals and 10 economic entities for four months.