Sanctions imposed by the U.S. against a number of Belarusian officials are "confrontational" and "useless," a Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
On Wednesday, the White House said it was extending for a year sanctions initially imposed in 2006 against some Belarusian officials.
"If we talk about the sanctions imposed against a number of Belarusian officials, then after a long period of their existence the artificiality of these sanctions and their isolation from real life becomes obvious to anyone," Andrei Savinykh said.
"We think that an extension of these useless but confrontational in their nature sanctions indicates the U.S.'s lack of political will to develop cooperation in the interests of peace and partnership," he added.
On June 16 2006, the Bush administration imposed sanctions against dozens of Belarusian officials, including the country's President Alexander Lukashenko, and blocked some of their assets.
MINSK, June 9 (RIA Novosti)
