Official Minsk dissatisfied with the extension of U.S. sanctions

Official Minsk regrets that the U.S. continues to implement stereotypical approaches towards Belarus.

"Here, in principle, nothing to comment. USA continues to implement the stereotypical approaches to Belarus", spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Belarus Andrei Savinykh told the "Interfax-Zapad" agency on Friday, commenting on the White House's decision to uphold sanctions against certain Belarusian officials.

"The position of our country is well known - we stand for a constructive and mutually respectful dialogue", said A.Savinyh. As previously reported, U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to uphold the sanctions against certain Belarusian state officials.

"The President took this action to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons to undermine Belarus democratic processes or institutions, to commit human rights abuses related to political repression, including detentions and disappearances, and to engage in public corruption, including by diverting or misusing Belarusian public assets or by misusing public authority", the White House quotes B. Obama's statement.

"If Obama has not taken this decision, the sanctions after June 16 will be stopped automatically", said in the White House.

The U.S. president said that he made this decision because he believes that in 2011 the Government of Belarus continued crackdown against the opposition, civil society, and independent media.

"These actions show that the Government of Belarus has taken additional steps backward in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights", said the U.S. president.

He stressed that such actions of Belarusian authorities are a threat to national security and U.S. foreign policy.

"For this reason, I decided that I need to leave the regime of national emergency (against Belarus - IF), as well as related measures freezing the assets of some people", the statement of Barack Obama says.