Latvia urges EU to target Belarus

LUXEMBOURG: Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics called yesterday for more economic sanctions on Belarus to increase pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko, who the European Union accuses of flying undocumented migrants into Poland and the Baltics.

Mr Rinkevics said sanctioning national airline Belavia was one measure that he hoped would be discussed by EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg. Austria and the EU’s top diplomat immediately voiced support.

“We need to introduce stricter sanctions ... It means to put socalled tourism companies that are organising flights (under sanctions), I also believe that we need to sanction Belavia fully, so that it cannot receive any kind of support,” Mr Rinkevics said.