Matovic Would Like to See Lukashenko on EU's Sanction List As Well

Brussels, October 2 (TASR-correspondent) – Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) said following a two-day EU summit in Brussels on Friday that he would like Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to be on the sanctions list agreed upon by EU leaders on Thursday (October 1).

“Many people, including me, would like to see President Lukashenko on that list, as it’s chiefly him who is responsible for what happened in Belarus,” stated Matovic. However, a consensus eventually prevailed at the Brussels talks that Lukashenko won’t be included in the list of some 40 Belarusian officials so that the Union has someone to sit at the negotiation table with and discuss the democratisation of the situation in this country,” said the Slovak prime minister.

Answering the question whether the EU is willing to hold talks directly with the Belarusian opposition, Matovic said that the EU leaders touched this issue as well, however, it’s premature to talk about it at the moment.

Meanwhile, Matovic confirmed that an EU economic assistance plan for democratic Belarus, presented at the summit by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and already okayed by the Visegrad Four (V4 – Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary) leaders, found understanding in Brussels.