The European Union supports the democratic transition and pro-democratic forces in Belarus which has had a fourth round of sanctions brought against it, Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman said on Monday in Luxembourg.

“The EU will support pro-democratic forces, primarily civil society and vulnerable groups in Belarus,” said Grlic-Radman after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Belarus was one of the topics on the agenda of the ministerial meeting, with the leader of Belarusian opposition, Svjetlana Tihanovska, attending as a guest.

The EU foreign ministers decided today to impose sanctions against 78 individuals and eight legal entities from Belarus due to serious violations of human rights, repression against civil society, the democratic opposition and journalists.

They also discussed EU relations with Russia, which are currently very poor.

“Relations aren’t as we would like them to be, but responsibility for common security directs both sides to communicate,” said Grlic-Radman, confirming the EU’s stance towards Moscow, which condemns unacceptable moves by Russia on the one hand, but is aware of the need for dialogue on the other.

Minister Grlic-Radman said that he had proposed that Israel’s new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid be invited to one of the next Foreign Affairs Council meetings.