Belarus will seek full lifting of sanctions by U.S.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry says Belarus is ready to continue dialogue with Washington to fully normalize relations and to achieve full lifting of the sanctions.

"We intend to continue the dialogue we have begun with our American partners to normalize our relations and to achieve full repealing of Executive Order N13405 issued by President George Bush on June 16, 2006," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

The ministry said that "it is obvious that the sanctions decisions made in 2006 by the George Bush administration, which have been prolonged by one year, are based on the initially wrong assumption that Belarus may be a source of a threat to U.S. security."

"In reality, throughout all pas years our country made a real and broadly recognized contribution to regional and international security," the ministry said.

The ministry also said the decision made on June 10 duplicates the previous similar acts and does not take into account the changes taking place in Belarusian-U.S. relations.

"We are hoping that the anniversary, tenth year of the sanctions will be the last one," the ministry said.

According to earlier reports, U.S. President Barack Obama has prolonged the restrictive measures on some Belarusian officials.

The relevant document, addressed to the U.S. Congress, is available for viewing on the official White House website.

The document said that "the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."

" For this reason, the national emergency declared on June 16, 2006, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond June 16, 2016," the document said.

In his address to the U.S. Congress on June 16, 2006, U.S. President George Bush ordered the freezing of the financial accounts of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and nine other high-ranking Belarusian officials, and also prohibited U.S. citizens from having any dealings with them.

In 2007-2008, the U.S. imposed restrictive economic measures on the concern Belneftekhim. In October 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury suspended the sanctions against Belneftekhim and eight petrochemical enterprises associated with it.