The European Union is tightening the visa regime for representatives of the Belarusian authorities in response to the "hybrid attack" of the regime in Minsk, accused by Brussels of deliberately bringing migrants to the EU borders, AFP reported, quoted by BTA.

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The member states of the union today confirmed a proposal of the European Commission from the end of September to suspend the use of a mechanism that facilitates the issuance of visas to representatives of the Belarusian authorities, the EU Council announced.

The communiqué states that the decision will not affect ordinary citizens of Belarus.

"We condemn and firmly reject the instrumentalization of migration by the Belarusian regime. It is unacceptable that Belarus is playing with the lives of human beings for political purposes," said Slovenian Interior Minister Ales Hoys, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

He added that "the decision taken today proves once again our common will to continue to fight this ongoing hybrid attack."

The measure was taken against the backdrop of rising tensions on the Belarusian-Polish border.

The Eastern European EU member state has deployed thousands of troops to block the influx of thousands of migrants from the former Soviet republic.

A Polish general has blamed Russia for migrant pressure on his country

The European Union has accused Belarus of deliberately organizing trafficking in migrants, mostly from the Middle East, to Poland and two other Eastern European countries, Lithuania and Latvia, since June, in retaliation for Brussels imposing sanctions on Minsk over its crackdown on protesters. protesting against the controversial re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko in August last year.

Yesterday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on EU member states to approve new sanctions against the Belarusian authorities and to consider punitive measures against airlines transporting migrants to the former Soviet republic.

Today, France accused Belarus of trying to destabilize the European Union by organizing "migrant trafficking" to its borders.

Belarus will not kneel before the EU, Lukashenko warned.

At the same time, he assured that Minsk does not seek a conflict with Brussels.

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