Arkady Rotenberg hopes for victory of his lawsuit against Western sanctions
MOSCOW. Oct 30 (Interfax) - Russian businessman Arkady Rotenberg has said that sanctions imposed on him by the West are not having any "dramatic impact" on his life and he is ready to contest the lawfulness of these sanctions through the courts.
"On my life, the sanctions do not, in principle, have any dramatic impact. Although psychologically this is difficult - I am not a politician, my rights have been violated, why can't I do something, go somewhere because of some nonsense," Rotenberg told Interfax.
Rotenberg said he does not have "rosy expectations" that these sanctions may be lifted soon and he is prepared to contest the restrictions imposed on him personally and his businesses through the courts.
"I'm disputing the illegal restrictions imposed against me through the European Court of Justice. We want to find out on what basis the EU came to the conclusions that are laid out in the decision to impose sanctions," he said.
These court proceedings will take a long time, Rotenberg said, adding that he was hoping "more for a moral victory."
"But if it is confirmed materially, I won't refuse," Rotenberg noted, adding that "if money is awarded by the court ruling, I'll spend it on some good project in Russia."
When asked how his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin affects his business, Rotenberg said: "Our friendship doesn't affect the business in any way. First of all, Vladimir Vladimirovich never picks up at all the phone and does not give any instructions to anyone related to anyone's business. Secondly, I genuinely value our relationship."
"Speaking about business, at times, on the contrary, it's been harder for me than for competitors. I can't use those, let's say, questionable methods of doing business and competition that are common here. Otherwise, I'd let down a person with whom I am genuinely friends. Therefore, for me this relationship is above all a huge responsibility," he said.
When asked about the "Rotenberg law," the businessman described it as "another absurd situation".
"I have nothing to do with this law. I, by the way, am a strong advocate of observing copyright and would not want to appropriate the achievements of others. Since I was not the initiator of the bill, giving it my name, to say the least, is inappropriate," Rotenberg said.
"Furthermore, I will never compensate my own personal losses at the expense of the country's budget. This is my personal position as an entrepreneur and a citizen," he said.
The full version of Rotenberg's interview will appear on www.interfax.com website.
