The Belarusian State Customs Committee has failed to give a definite answer when asked part of which country – Russia or Ukraine – they consider Crimea.
Euroradio journalists have contacted the committee to specify the country of origin of the tea served to blood donors in Minsk Clinical Hospital No 6. It is allegedly imported from Crimea’s Sevastopol.
According to their information, the Minsk-based company EcoTeaPartner (ЭкоЧайПартнёр) is involved in delivering tea from the annexed peninsula to Belarus.
Officially, Belarus has never recognised Crimea as part of Russia. For example, after the conflict in Donbas broke out, president Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that Ukraine ‘should stay united’ but stressed that ‘Crimea is de facto Russia’s territory’. The Belarusians are also divided on this issue.
However, Belarusian products are sold on separatist-controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions; in turn, one can buy wine and baking soda from Crimea in Belarus. How does it come that goods from the unrecognised territory are available for purchase in our country?
“We do not keep track of imports and exports in the context of the administrative and territorial units of our partner countries are not provided,” the Customs Committee said.
Belsat.eu
