Belarus cuts cooperation on migration with EU over sanctions

Belarus has retaliated to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials

KYIV, Ukraine -- Belarus on Monday retaliated to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials. The EU on Thursday slapped new bruising economic sanctions on Belarus over last month's diversion of a passenger jet to arrest a dissident journalist. The sanctions target the country's top export items, including potash — a common fertilizer ingredient, petroleum products and tobacco industry exports. Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has denounced the EU sanctions as part of a “hybrid war” waged by the West against Belarus. On Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that Belarus would move to suspend a readmission agreement with the EU that is intended to stem illegal migration. The announcement follows Lukashenko’s warning that his country will no longer try to stem a flow of illegal migrants to the European Union.