The West is acknowledging in a direct way the polls held in that country, said expett Andrei Suzdalsets, referring to a likely suspension of the sanctions for four months, a policy implemented in general since 2006, besides the restrictions imposed by the United States.
The measure was discussed on Monday by the council of Foreign ministers of the European Union and might be in force by the end of October, if nothing happens unexpectedly, as stated at the end of the meeting by Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Linas Linkevicius.
Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenlo was re-elected in the polls Sunday for the fifth time since 1994, with 83.5 percent of votes.
Only the candidate Tatiana Korotkevich, activist of the opposition platform Tell the Truth, with 4.42 percent of votes, said she would challenge the results. Four candidates run for president in 2015.
Today, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced that the sanctions against Belarus might be modified or lifted in the light of the elections held in that East European country.
Meanwhile, the US State Department welcomed in a communique the "peaceful holding" of presidential elections on October 11 in the former Soviet republic, but expressed disappointment because they "failed to respond to international commitments and Minsk's duties with the free and fair exercise of the people's will."
The missions of observers of the Community of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Forum, of China, and Russia stated that the Belarusian elections developed without major irregularities, in accordance with the nation's legislation.
Under national law, Lukashenko's inauguration must be held by December 11, as a deadline, or two months after the elections.
rma/mem/oda
PL-15/MNA
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