Putin extends food-import counter-sanctions for another year

As the European Union decides to extend anti-Russian sanctions, Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on June 24 to extend certain special economic measures to protect security of the Russian Federation. 

Addressing the government members, the president said: “The prime minister has sent me a letter, proposing that we extend the measures that we took in response to the actions of our partners in some countries. In accordance with this letter, I signed an executive order today extending special economic measures taken to ensure our country’s security, and I ask the government to promptly draft and issue a corresponding government resolution,” the Kremlin press office quotes the president as saying.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said relevant documents are already being drafted now.

“As the prime minister proposed, we are extending these measures for a year starting from today. I think that this will be a good opportunity for our farmers too,” the president added.

As EADaily  reported earlier, the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council extended economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, till Jan 31 2016, on June 22.  

EU sanctions include restrictions on lending to major Russian state-owned banks, as well as defense and oil companies. In addition, EU imposed restrictions on the supply of weapons and military equipment to Russia as well as military technology, dual-use technologies, high-tech equipment and technologies for oil production.  Responding to the extension of the sanctions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the EU mechanically continues laying the responsibility for full implementation of the Minsk Agreements on Russia.