Russia unable to exempt individual EU states from restrictions due to WTO rules - envoy Chizhov
BRUSSELS. March 12 (Interfax) - Individual member countries of the European Union are exploring the possibility of securing an exemption from Russia's restrictive measures, primarily a ban on the import of agricultural products to Russia, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told Interfax in Brussels.
"The Russian side perfectly understands the WTO's (World Trade Organization) existing rules, which make it impossible to lift any sanction decisions only in relation to individual countries," he said.
However, "there are also other opportunities such as the establishment of joint ventures in Russian territory," Chizhov said.
"I will not predict any specific decisions, but, for example, the sides could discuss the possibility of exempting certain products, not countries, [from sanctions] and setting up joint ventures that would use raw materials provided by these countries," he said.