No specific procedures for the renewal of economic sanctions against Russia, said the European official. He noted that so far only discussed policy towards the EU’s Eastern partners.
BRUSSELS, 9 Nov. Vladimir Dobrovolsky. The European Union has not yet started to formally discuss the renewal of economic sanctions against Russia, this issue will be resolved in December, said the European official.
An earlier edition of Handelsblatt, citing high-ranking sources in the EU and the government of Germany said that the EU in December can extend economic sanctions against Russia for six months. According to the newspaper, the decision can be made at the next formal EU summit scheduled for 17-18 December.
“Possible statements by officials, but nothing concrete, no procedures on this occasion I have not seen”, — said the interlocutor of the Agency, who requested anonymity.
According to him, is still discussed only policy towards the Eastern partners of the EU, because it will be one of the topics of the meeting of the foreign Ministers of EU countries on the following Monday. “The implementation of the Minsk agreements are planned to be discussed only in December. At the Council meeting (foreign Affairs) on Monday, the discussion of sanctions against Russia is not planned,” — said the European official.
He also noted that normally the decision on sanctions against Russia adopted at the level of heads of state and government. “The European Council takes decisions, and then begins the preparation of normative acts”, — said the Agency interlocutor, noting that time is still there, because economic sanctions against Russia will expire at the end of January 2016.
Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated in connection with the situation in Ukraine. At the end of July 2014, the EU and the USA from the point of sanctions against certain individuals and companies have moved to measures against entire sectors of the Russian economy, in particular the defense industry and high technologies.
The foreign Ministers of the EU countries on 22 June had extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2016, approving the relevant amendments to the EU sectoral restrictive measures against Russia. The decision came into force on 23 June.
