Slovenia ready to cast off Chyzh

Ljubljana will not block the candidature of Belarusian oligarch Yury Chyzh (Yuri Chizh), a parter of Slovenian Riko company.

As Ljubljana-based Dnevnik reports, a decision on sanctions against official Minsk is likely to be taken on March 23. Dnevnik adds the issue is to be discussed by European ambassadors on March 21. If they reach an agreement, the decision will be taken on Friday without debate. If a consensus fails to be reached, the issue will be discussed by foreign ministers on Friday, Radio Svaboda reports.

According to Slovenian observers, Ljubljana will not block the candidature of Belarusian oligarch Yury Chyzh, a parter of Slovenian Riko company (the company recently signed a €100mn contract in Belarus).

Besides Chyzh, some companies of another Belarusian billionaire, Vladimir Peftiev, are put on the blacklist, sources inform. The tycoon has already been banned entry to the EU and his assets have been frozen. He applied to the European Court in Luxembourg over this decision.

The European Court is the EU highest court, which decisions cannot be appealed against.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Karl Erjavec, said his country would support the idea of sanctions if the approach were consistent.

The Slovenian MFA released a tough statement concerning the execution of two Belarusians. The execution was carried out shortly after announcing the verdict in spite of concerns over the standard of evidence and numerous appeals to Lukashenka by EU leaders asking to abolish the death penalty. The MFA of Slovenia, the country resolutely opposing the death penalty, called the execution of Kanavalau and Kavalyou a cruel and inhumane form of punishment.