In response to the expansion of EU sanctions against Belarus, European officials will be denied entry into the country, the Ambassador of Poland and the head of the EU in Belarus are recommended to leave their capitals for consultations. According to former presidential candidate Grigory Kostusev, this step of Belarusian authorities will cause harm to Belarusian people and relations with neighboring countries.
Belarus' relations with the EU and the U.S., are strained in any case, the politician said. He believes that Belarus can not realize the promise to "take other measures" to protect the interests of state power.
- Well, what can be done? To reduce the sales of Belarusian goods or oil? But this will only lead to a decrease of hard currency revenues to the budget.
Europe can attach no importance to the threats of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry at all, Kostusev said. According to him the situation won't develop further than statements of MFA's.
But for Belarus, her own steps away from Europe to Russia will bring harm, the ex-presidential candidate is sure.
"For example, the customs union agreement, which led to an increase in customs duties on cars, hit hard to Belarusian pockets. And with this in mind, even the concessions on gas prices have not brought any tangible dividends to the population", Kostusev said. "This is the way into the Kremlin arms, which will get into our pockets more than once".
