Russia blames West for pressuring Kazakhstan
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has spoken about the threat of secondary sanctions against Kazakhstan. According to Lavrov, Kazakhstan is forced to exercise caution «in light of the blackmail and intimidation from Washington and Brussels.»
«We observe the active efforts by Western emissaries to engage with Astana regarding compliance with restrictions imposed on Russia. We are aware of the threats of secondary sanctions against Kazakhstani companies and banks and the potential blacklisting of economic operators by American and European entities,» Lavrov said in an interview with the Rossiya Segodnya media outlet.
He highlighted that Kazakhstan has adopted a balanced stance «under significant external pressure.»
«We understand our Kazakhstani friends’ concerns about the possibility of facing sanctions for trading with Russia. In light of the blackmail and intimidation from Washington and Brussels, Kazakhstan must tread carefully to safeguard its companies. I believe that the Kazakhstani partners’ statements are driven by a concern for national economic operators,» Lavrov said.
He noted that «despite the West’s attempts to distance Kazakhstan from Russia, cooperation with Astana is progressing successfully.»
«Our countries are collaborating to identify the most effective forms of partnership that will enable us to continue increasing bilateral trade, even under Western restrictions,» he said.
Earlier this year, the U.S. resolved to impose secondary sanctions on banks and companies cooperating with VTB Kazakhstan.
In late June, Kazakhstan’s Da Group 22 was included in the EU’s 14th package of sanctions for assisting Russia. All in all, 61 companies were listed, including firms from Kyrgyzstan, China, Turkey and the UAE. Before this, the EU and the U.S. had pledged to impose secondary sanctions on Elem Group.
Later, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration told Kursiv.media that these companies have not been involved in imports and exports since May and June 2023, respectively, while Elem Group is currently in the process of liquidation.
In August, the U.S. added another 123 companies to the sanctions list, including two branches of the Turkish firm All Global Trading Elektronik Dis Ticaret Ltd Sti., registered in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
In October, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 275 citizens and companies from 17 countries. Among these were entities from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Switzerland, China and India. Kazakhstan’s Kazstanex was also added to the sanctions list due to its supplies to Russia.
