EU Envoy Explains Which Kazakhstani Registered Companies Could Be in New Sanctions Package

The European Union's special envoy for sanctions, David O'Sullivan, has indicated that such companies might be included in the EU's upcoming 16th sanctions package, Orda.kz reports.

No final decision has been made. Sanctions are imposed only if there is irrefutable evidence of participation in circumventing restrictions, O'Sullivan stated.

While praising Kazakhstan's cooperation on sanctions compliance, he reaffirmed the EU's respect for Kazakhstan's neutral stance:

We do not require Kazakhstan to impose sanctions against Russia and do not interfere with legitimate trade. However, there is a risk that some companies use Kazakhstan to circumvent restrictions by reselling EU products to Russia, especially high-tech goods used in weapons.

O'Sullivan revealed that two companies registered in Kazakhstan have faced sanctions since the start of the Ukraine war following the emergence of suspicious shell companies.

He outlined the EU's approach:

We analyze the activities of such companies: if a company was not active before 2022, but suddenly entered the market after the introduction of sanctions, this is a reason for inspection. However, this is not enough for restrictions - we study trade relations, the history of supplies and try to find systemic solutions together with governments. But if there is no other way out, such companies are included in the sanctions list.

Original Author: Olga Ibraeva