This was stated by Roman Vasilenko, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, in an interview with the Polish agency RAP, as reported by Ukrinform.
“Kazakhstan has not imposed sanctions against Russia, nor has it joined the sanctions against Russia. At the same time, we do not want our territory to be used to bypass sanctions,” Vasilenko said.
Photo: PAP
According to him, Astana's position is “known and understood” by all interested parties. Vasilenko emphasized that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent the circumvention of sanctions, as the republic “does not wish to face secondary sanctions.”
As noted by The Moscow Times, in September, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Baibazarov, stated that violations of sanctions are isolated incidents and are immediately addressed. He mentioned that only two Kazakh companies, which turned out to be “fly-by-night” operations, were identified as violating the sanctions regime.
Kazakhstan has become a major hub for importing goods into Russia after Western companies exited the Russian market, and banking sanctions limited the ability to conduct payments in major global currencies.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Moscow Exchange (MOEX), which has been subjected to U.S. sanctions, withdrew from the list of shareholders of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).
Prior to this, Kazakhstan imposed a ban on the export of 106 types of goods to Russia, including technological items that could be used by Russians for military purposes.
Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Integration of Kazakhstan, Serik Jumangarin, stated that the authorities of Kazakhstan will not blindly follow Western sanctions against Russia and will consider the interests of local companies.