Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko sacked his industry minister, the head of state oil company Belneftekhim, and Minsk’s ambassador to the European Union, his office said on Feb. 4.
Lukashenko’s office did not specify the reason for the dismissals, which occurred after the European Union had slapped sanctions on the country for post-election violence and a row with Russia over energy issues, Reuters reports.
Arkady Moshes, director of the EU eastern neighborhood and Russia research program, believes it is possible to re-establish dialogue between Belarus and EU.
“The reasons that led to the improvement of EU-Belarusian relations have not disappeared – all those reasons are there. Therefore, I think that the not really well visible interaction will continue and if the situation can go back to December 18th, I mean if the regime releases the prisoners, the EU will definitely be able to announce that its diplomatic mission have been successful and also lift the sanctions, not necessarily quickly,” Moshes told The Voice of Russia Feb. 4.
