Canada caramelized economic sanctions against Belarusian regime

The sanctions were imposed for violation of human rights and civil freedoms by the Belarusian government.

Belarus remains among the states against which the government of Canada applies economic sanctions. TUT.by informs about that with a reference to Canada Border Services Agency.

Back on April 30 Canada Border Services Agency approved the amended Memorandum D19-11-1, according to which economic sanctions were imposed on 14 foreign states (Cote d’Ivoire, China, Congo, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Pakistan, Sierra-Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Belarus) and two terrorist groups (Al Qaeda and Taliban).

“Imposing economic sanctions against foreign states and non-state agencies is still an instrument for the international community to ensure respect to international norms and laws,” states the document.

According to Export and Import Permits Act, Belarus and Myanmar are on the list of the countries, for export to which a permission of the Foreign Trade Ministry of Canada (Area Control List) is required. Exception is humanitarian aid, to which food, clothes and medicines belong.

We remind that Canada imposed unilateral sanctions against Belarus in December 2006. The Canadian side explained its decision by a desire to put pressure on the leadership of our country, in which human rights and civil freedoms are violated on a regular basis.

“The bilateral relations of Canada and Belarus are limited to the spheres of consular relations, human rights, democratic development and international security. Canada has consistently insisted on the necessity to reach progress in democratization and human rights by Belarus, and many times condemned their violations,” the website of the Canadian government reports.