Fergana reports that the authorities of Kazakhstan do not want the country’s territory to be used to circumvent anti-Russian sanctions.
Roman Vasilenko, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, reportedly stated this in an interview with Poland’s state-run news agency PAP.
"Kazakhstan has not imposed sanctions against Russia, and Kazakhstan has not joined the sanctions against Russia. However, we do not want our territory to be used to bypass sanctions," Vasilenko emphasized.
He added that Astana's position is known to all interested parties, both in the West and in Russia.
"We are in dialogue with the EU on issues related to sanctions. We are taking measures to prevent such sanctions evasion because we do not want our companies to face so-called secondary sanctions. We are engaging in dialogue with Western countries, the EU, and the EU’s special envoy on sanctions, David O'Sullivan," Vasilenko stressed.
At the same time, in response to a question about rising tensions between Kazakhstan and Russia, Vasilenko pointed out that there are "no problems" in relations between the two countries.
"There are different issues because we are neighbors, and our relations are very diverse. We are working with Russia to resolve these issues before they become problems," he explained. "This is our approach not only with Russia but with any other country."
After Russia launched its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine, Kazakhstan did not support the US and European sanctions against Moscow. However, Astana has repeatedly emphasized that it adheres to the imposed sanction regime and does not assist Russia in evading it.
