The UK bans the export of oil refining goods and luxury items to Belarus

New Delhi: The UK will prohibit the export of oil refining goods, luxury goods, including British artwork and designer handbags, as well as advanced technology components such as those used in quantum computing, to Belarus, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday.

Moreover, the British authorities announced the intention to ban imports of Belarusian iron and steel, as well as restrict the country’s access “to the UK’s world-class financial services sector” by banning Belarusian companies from issuing debt and securities in London.

The sanctions are due to the fact that the Belarusian authorities headed by President Alexander Lukashenko continue to actively facilitate Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, according to the statement. The UK’s government also announced “transport sanctions” to be imposed on Belarus.

The restrictions will be introduced on July 5, 2022. The new package of sanctions is to block trade in “goods worth around 60 million pounds ($72 mln).”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbas republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation, after which the US, EU states, the UK, as well as some other states, imposed sanctions against Russian persons and legal entities, as well as sped up arms supplies to Kyiv.

(Vinayak)