Sanctioned Goods Come To Russia Via Central Asian Countries - EU Official

An unusual increase in exports from the European Union to certain Central Asian countries such as Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has been detected lately that could be part of a Russia sanctions circumvention scheme, European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2023) An unusual increase in exports from the European Union to certain Central Asian countries such as Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has been detected lately that could be part of a Russia sanctions circumvention scheme, European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday.

"Having different systems country by country allows for those that want to have fraudulent behaviors or for those that want to try to circumvent our sanctions to do so through (certain) mechanisms ... There is a form of sanctions circumvention through trade. As you know, there are very clear increases of EU exports to ... some Central Asian countries, like Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and at the same time, there is more or less the same or comparing increase of exports from these countries to Russia," he told a briefing on the reform of the EU Customs Union.

Gentiloni pointed out that there had been a recent 185 million euro ($200 million) increase in EU exports to Kazakhstan, and a 186 million euro increase in exports from Kazakhstan to Russia.

"I'm not finger pointing anyone, but it is clear," he said.

Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the military operation it launched in Ukraine at the beginning of 2022. In February 2023, the European Union blocked the transit of European goods and dual-use technologies through Russia in the 10th package of sanctions in order to prevent sanction circumvention. In early May, the European Commission confirmed it had sent its proposal on the 11th package of Russia sanctions to EU members. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen specified that the new package would focus on countering the circumvention of existing measures. Moscow says that the Western sanctions have failed to do any harm to the Russian economy.