Christian Kern
Anti-Russian sanctions is extremely disadvantageous for Austria, Vienna they cost almost almost 0.3 percent of GDP. In an interview with RIA Novosti said the Chancellor of the country’s Christian Kern.
“Austria is suffering from this. In this regard, we believe that we need enhanced cooperation in this regard to create a vision for the future, osnovannogo on cooperation,” he said.
At the same time, Kern recalled that Europe on the question of restrictions against Moscow formed a common position. “These sanctions are discussed, the discussion concerning their renewal. The role of Austria within the existing framework — to participate in what is happening,” he said, adding that “this is a sensitive issue”.
On 18 January the Minister for foreign Affairs of Austria Sebastian Kurz said in favour of a gradual lifting of EU sanctions against Russia in case the Minsk agreement.
According to Kurtz, in the case of tangible and verifiable progress on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, it is necessary to discuss the gradual abandonment of the restrictive measures. At the same time, the diplomat noted that this does not apply to sanctions imposed in response to the annexation of Crimea.
In February 2015 in the capital of Belarus, an agreement was signed on stabilization of the situation in the South-East of Ukraine. Agreement, in particular, called for a cease-fire, withdrawal of heavy weapons from the contact line of the warring parties, and constitutional reform in Ukraine.
A number of countries, including the USA and member States of the European Union has imposed restrictive measures against Moscow in 2014, linking them with the annexation of Crimea to Russia, and then the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine. They affect the financial, energy and defense sectors of the Russian economy. Brussels also imposed sanctions against the Crimea, valid until 23 June this year.