Belarus has agreed to release 25 detainees in exchange for the relaxation of some sanctions imposed by the USA. The statement was made on Wednesday by President Donald Trump’s envoy, John Coale.
The agreement is part of a series of prolonged negotiations by Washington with the administration in Minsk. The USA has been trying for some time to motivate the Lukashenko administration to release hundreds of people detained on political grounds, among them human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, and lawyers.
“We have agreed on a provisional agreement and, as a gesture of goodwill, Belarus will release 25 people, and in return the United States will lift sanctions imposed on two companies. We will continue to improve relations between the US and Belarus and make efforts to ensure the release of a greater number of people in the very near future. We did not stop here,” Coale conveyed.
In Tuesday’s discussions with Coale, Lukashenko denied that the targeted individuals were political prisoners, reports hotnews.ro.
The two companies that will be removed from the US sanctions list are Lakokraska, a manufacturer of industrial paints and varnishes, and Bellesbumprom – a state industrial conglomerate coordinating the forestry, pulp and paper sectors.
Coale also promised Lukashenko on Tuesday that he would convince American banks to return tens of millions of dollars from the frozen Belarusian assets.