The sanctions imposed by Western nations on banks and companies of Kyrgyzstan are completely unfounded, stated Sergey Vakunov, the Russian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, in a recent interview with the Rossiya 24 television channel.
"Both the leadership of Kyrgyzstan and we believe that these sanctions are entirely unjustified," the ambassador said. He noted that the Kyrgyz side has repeatedly offered to conduct a joint analysis with representatives of the Council of Europe to review the activities of the companies targeted by these measures. However, these proposals have had no impact on the actions of Western partners.
Vakunov characterized the ongoing sanction pressure as an interference in the republic's internal affairs. He warned that such restrictions could "lead to serious negative consequences for the development of the Kyrgyz economy."
The ambassador also confirmed that authorities in Bishkek reacted "very sharply" to reports that the European Union is considering country-wide sanctions against Kyrgyzstan as part of its upcoming 20th sanctions package.
Previously, several Kyrgyz banks and companies were added to the European and US sanctions lists for allegedly assisting Russia in bypassing anti-Russian restrictions. According to European media reports, Brussels is preparing to escalate these measures in its next package by targeting Kyrgyzstan as a whole.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS