France freezes Russian state assets, Moscow plans to appeal
Published time: June 18, 2015 09:56
Edited time: June 18, 2015 15:17
RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Utkin
French law enforcement has frozen the accounts of Russian companies operated by the French subsidiary of VTB, Russia’s second-largest bank, CEO Andrey Kostin told RBC. Diplomatic accounts were briefly frozen as well, but have since been unlocked.
“As of this morning [diplomatic accounts] were unfrozen… The sums are small, some dozens of thousands of euros, [but] Russian companies' accounts are still frozen,” the bank chief was cited as saying. “We are working on the problem with our lawyers now.”
The news comes amid developments from Belgium, where Russian state assets are facing seizure to secure payment of a contested Russian debt to the former owners of the now defunct oil giant Yukos.
The debt payment was ordered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in July 2014, and totals $50 billion. Russia intends to challenge the ruling.
Earlier, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said the possible seizure of assets over the Yukos litigation had been foreseen and that the country is preparing to act to counter the move.
Moscow will appeal the court’s arrest of Russian property, Andrey Belousov said. According to the official, “the situation with the arrest of the property is politicized, [and] Moscow hopes to avoid a new escalation in relations.”
http://rt.com/news/268024-vtb-accounts-france-frozen/
