For the first time, Serbia has joined the restrictive measures of the European Union (EU) regarding the situation in Ukraine since the outbreak of the crisis in 2014.
As the portal European Western Balkans (EWB) writes, Serbia agreed with the Decision of the Council of the European Union, which extends the validity of restrictive measures against the former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, who is believed to be a Russian citizen and leading members of the Ukrainian leadership from the period 2010-2014.
This is stated in the Declaration of the High Representative of the European Union published on the website of the Council of the EU on March 12, 2022. As it was unofficially confirmed to the EWB portal by the European Service for Foreign Affairs, Serbia has complied with this Decision together with Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports N1.
As stated in the Declaration, these countries will ensure that their national policies are aligned with the Council's Decision.
Sanctions against Yanukovych and others were first introduced in March 2014 by the Decision of the Council of the EU, and then extended every year. The reason for the introduction of sanctions is the "abuse of state resources and violation of human rights" during the Ukrainian crisis of 2013-2014. which led to the annexation of Crimea and the declaration of independence of Donbass and Luhansk.
On March 3, 2022, the EU Council extended the validity of these sanctions for one year, until March 6, 2023.
"This is the first time that Serbia is harmonizing with the EU sanctions regarding Ukraine," confirms for EWB Igor Novaković, ISAC Fund research director and coordinator of the working group of the National Convention on the EU for Chapters 30 and 31.
According to ISAC Fund data, since 2014, the EU has defined a unique approach and started applying restrictive measures towards Russia, i.e. towards related persons and entities designated as responsible for the events in Ukraine.
Based on the Decision that the Council adopted in 2014, and with which Serbia has now agreed, all funds and economic resources belonging to the persons mentioned in the decision are frozen. In addition to Viktor Yanukovych, these persons include, among others, Mykula Azarov, the Prime Minister of Ukraine under Yanukovych, as well as several former members of the then government.
EWB reminds that Viktor Yanukovych was the president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014, when he was overthrown in a coup, after which he fled to Russia. In 2013, he was awarded the Order of Serbia on a ribbon for his merits in the development and consolidation of peaceful cooperation and friendly relations between Serbia and Ukraine.
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