Russia will continue to push for return of assets frozen abroad - Peskov

MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - Russia will continue to push for the return of its assets frozen abroad, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Both the state and entrepreneurs are trying to think up ways to fight for their interests and return assets that have been blocked, seized, but belong to them abroad. This is a very long and difficult path, because those who committed this theft - countries of the collective West - they violated all the basic rules and principles and encroached on the right to property. Also, you know that right now our ability to make use of European courts to defend our rights is very, very limited. This right is not being granted to our entrepreneurs either," Peskov said.

Only a few of them have had any sort of success in European courts, he said.

"Of course all these efforts are totally justified and understandable, and they need to be continued, and the state will continue to do this," Peskov told the media on Thursday.

Asked what the Kremlin thought about an initiative by Russian investors who, in a bid to unfreeze their assets abroad, are preparing a class action in a Russian court to prove that depositories are not returning their funds, Peskov said it would be better to ask the experts about this. If the court sides with the plaintiffs, they will subsequently be able to demand the recovery of their funds from European assets that have already been frozen in retaliation in Russia.

"It's not entirely right for the administration to comment and forecast the outcome. Let's leave this to the specialists. But you categorically must fight for your rights, for your property," he said.