Foreign minister decries sanctions at meeting with Hungarian counterpart

February 14, BPN. While building economic ties Minsk and Budapest have to take Western sanctions against Belarus into account, said Foreign Minister Siarhiej Alejnik following the February 13 meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjártó.

Both Brussels and Washington imposed sanctions illegally and without any consideration, he added.

“We have conveyed our position that these sanctions are obviously inhumane, violate basic principles of international relations and fundamental human rights because first and foremost they affect ordinary people,” the foreign ministry’s press office quoted him as saying.

Belarus and Hungary currently maintain interregional ties and a significant level of mutual trade, while business circles are actively cooperating, Alejnik noted.

The talks focused on the expansion of industrial cooperation and potential for trade in pharmaceutical, agricultural and other sectors, he said.

Prior to the meeting with Alejnik, Szijjártó said on Facebook that he arrived in Belarus to “represent the position of peace” over the Russian-Ukrainian war.