Trudeau, Von Der Leyen Agree To Coordinate On Belarus Sanctions - PMO

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2021) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed coordination on sanctions against Belarus, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

"Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen expressed concern over ongoing human rights abuses in Belarus, and the leaders agreed to continue to coordinate responses, including through sanctions," PMO said in a readout of the conversation on Wednesday.

Canada imposed its fifth round of sanctions against Belarus on Monday, having already sanctioned 72 Belarusian officials and five entities under the Special Economic Measures Act to that point. Minsk has condemned the "unilateral coercive measures" taken by Ottawa as well as Washington and London, who imposed similar sanctions.

Trudeau and von der Leyen also condemned the sentences handed down to two Canadian nationals in China.

Earlier in the day, a Chinese court in the city of Dandong sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage, a day after a Liaoning province court upheld death sentence for Canadian Robert Schellenberg, who was convicted in China on drug smuggling charges.

"Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen expressed their strong opposition to the decisions by Chinese courts to uphold a death sentence against Robert Schellenberg, and to convict and sentence Michael Spavor," the statement said.

The two leaders committed to pressing on with efforts to combat arbitrary detention, the PMO added.

Trudeau and von der Leyen also tackled the issue of climate change following a string of devastating wildfires, floods and heatwaves in Canada and Europe, the readout said, vowing to "raise global ambition" ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.