| Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Finland, which chairs the EU, Matti Vanhanen, sharply criticized Belarus: “On our doorstep, Belarus is a black hole of European democracy, a scar on the face of Europe, which should be without flaws.” These words came on the eve of the Council of Permanent Representatives of the EU this week considering the issue of excluding Belarus from the general system of preferences, according to which developed countries provide customs benefits to developing countries. If adopted, the decision will come into force in six months and will cost Minsk 300 million euros per year. The issue of the exclusion of Belarus was initiated in connection with complaints of violations of the rights of independent trade unions. Olga TOMASHEVSKAYA, Minsk
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