Belarus said Monday it was suspending its participation in the Eastern Partnership, an initiative to strengthen ties between the EU and its ex-Soviet neighbours, after Brussels imposed new sanctions over the forced landing of a European flight. Belarus "cannot fulfil its obligations under this agreement in the context of sanctions and restrictions imposed by the EU," the Belarusian foreign ministry said, adding that its representative to the EU has been recalled to Minsk for consultations. tk-acl/mm/tgb