The economy started to demonstrate its first signs of recovery in May. Economic activity in the first five months of 2021 grew by 4.3 percent year-on-year.

The EBRD predicted that growth in the South Caucasus and Central Asia in 2021 would be stronger than it initially expected, though it warned a slow pace of vaccinations left the recovery vulnerable to an autumn COVID-19 wave.

The government forecasts about 4 percent growth in 2021 – after registering negative growth of 4 percent in 2020.

The Central Asian nation’s annual revenue from the sale of copper is currently $2.5 billion.

The expulsion of the EU representative was linked to an order barring entry to EU diplomats deemed by Minsk as having a hand in drafting sanctions against Belarus - including the suspension of potash exports from Belarus, the key component of fertilisers.