President Grybauskaite:
EU’s economic sanctions will only further push Belarus into Russia's sphere of influence

The European Union's economic sanctions against Belarus would only further push the latter into Russia's sphere of influence, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP).

EU economic sanctions would reduce Belarus' dependence on the West, Ms. Grybauskaite warned. She added that such sanctions could also affect ordinary people, Lithuanian news site Delfi said. 

Ms. Grybauskaite repeatedly expressed opposition to international sanctions against Belarus in the past, explaining that they would prompt Minsk to seek closer ties with Russia. 

While addressing EU ambassadors to Lithuania in November 2010, Ms. Grybauskaite reportedly called Alyaksandr Lukashenka the "guarantor" of Belarus' stability and independence, described Belarus' opposition as weak and said that Mr. Lukashenka enjoyed full support from the overwhelming majority of the country's population. //BelaPAN