It is necessary to increase pressure on Lukashenko's regime in response to hybrid attacks - Foreign Ministry

RIGA - In response to Belarus' hybrid attacks it is necessary to increase pressure on dictator Alexander Lukashenko's regime, Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Janis Bekeris told LETA. 

The ministry official noted that the Minsk regime continues reprisals against Belarus' civil society and has stepped up its hybrid attack on the European Union's (EU) external border, which is why the EU in line with its phased sanction policy has prepared the 5th round of sanctions. 

Bekeris noted that the EU Foreign Affairs Council at its November 15 meeting approved a new sanctioning criterion allowing to sanction legal entities and individuals involved in supporting the illegal migrant flow. 

In Bekeris' words, the EU Foreign Affairs Council also gave political approval for the adoption of the 5th round of sanctions as soon as possible, which will allow speeding up technical work on the list of sanctioned persons. 

As reported, the regime of Belarus' dictator Alexander Lukashenko has been attempting to send thousands of illegal migrants, mostly from Iraq, into Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in recent months.

The West accuses Belarus of engineering the border crisis as a revenge for sanctions slapped on Lukashenko's regime after its brutal suppression of protests against his rule.

The migrants say they want to get to Germany via Poland and Lukashenko has said that he is ready to send them there by plane if necessary.