Business in France is experiencing “terrible problems” when interacting with Russia due to US sanctions. About this at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (PMEF-2021), the director of the analyst “Observatory” at the French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Chamber of Arno Dupyen, was told, RIA Novosti reports.
According to him, difficulties arise at the daily level. They are associated with the opening of accounts for potential Russian investors in French banks. De facto it became impossible, but the power of the problem is denying.
Dubien noticed that, in general, Paris supports the development of trade and economic relations with Russia and at the same time makes it clear that there are no changes to wait. The feeling that sanctions are for a long time, there is, and business has come to accept it.
At the same time, according to the representative of France, his country is in an ambiguous position, since it is also a victim, and initiator of sanctions. He recalled the penalty against BNP Paribas Bank in 2017 in the amount of nine billion dollars for violating the sanctions regime, as well as the problems of French autocontraces, who had to stop the business in Iran, despite the significant presence there.
Speaker noticed that at present, in many headquarters of French companies in Paris, officials of American management of foreign assets control are sitting and followed by transactions. Thus, they have full access to sensitive information. Dubiena acknowledged that the issue of the extraterritoriality of sanctions was discussed in the French parliament, and in Brussels, but he does not believe in consensus and sanctions against US enterprises.
Earlier, in the framework of the Forum, the Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov said that Russia would completely get rid of the dollar in the structure of the National Welfare Fund (FNB). In turn, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov indicated the removal of the dollar from the structure of the FNB associated with the threat of US sanctions.