Moscow lays responsibility for sanctions expansion, including possible Siemens' costs, on EU, German govt
MOSCOW. Aug 4 (Interfax) - Moscow sees Brussels' decision to expand the EU sanctions list over the situation around Siemens as an unfriendly and unsubstantiated step, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The responsibility for this decision, including possible business costs of Siemens and the other German, as well as European companies working in Russia, lies wholly and fully with EU and the German government. We believe that the reasons for introducing a new portion of restrictive measures with respect to our country are absolutely contrived, and we reserve the right to countermeasures," the ministry's department of information and press said in a comment on the ministry's website.
"Despite the evolving situation, we reaffirm the interest in preservation and gradual development of our economic cooperation with Germany and the EU. We remain committed to all of the obligations we assumed earlier. With our joint efforts we aim to overcome the negative consequences of the sanctions toolkit," the ministry said.
"Brussels' decision to place on the EU sanctions list a number of Russian officials and firms in response to a supposedly 'illegitimate' delivery to Crimea of Siemens gas turbines is deeply regretful," the ministry said. "We are seeing this step, made at Berlin's initiative, as being unfriendly and unsubstantiated. The impression is that German colleagues took on board the practice of expansive interpretation of the sanction-restrictions which directly contradicts both to international law and the principles of international relations as a whole," the ministry said.
"We are disappointed by the absurd politicization of the issue which in reality is an ordinary commercial dispute between businesses. We also resolutely reject attempts to use it as an example of the supposed dishonesty of Russian companies," the ministry said.
On Friday the Council of the EU adopted a written decision to extend its list of anti-Russian sanctions over the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty by adding to it three Russian citizens and three companies involved with Siemens turbine deliveries to Crimea.