US sanctions against Russian arms companies illegal : Russia

Moscow, Jan 6 (UNI) Sharply criticising the imposition of sanctions by the United States against Russian arms companies, Russian Foreign Ministry today said it was illegal.

''Russian companies have regularly been accused of alleged assistance to missile and WMD programes or alleged deliveries banned by the international export control regime to Syria and Iran on the basis of the US, Iran and Syria Non-proliferation Act,'' the Ministry said in a statement.

The US State Department yesterday announced the imposition of sanctions against a number of Russian legal entities and individuals, in particular the state-run arms export agency Rosoboronexport, the Tula Instrument Manufacturing Design Bureau (KBP) and the Kolomna Machinery Design Bureau (KBM).

''The US has tried to extrapolate its domestic laws to foreign companies, to make them work under US rules,'' the statement said, adding the last attempt was made in August last year, when sanctions were imposed on Rosoboronexport and the Sukhoi company.

''The US did not ignore our arguments then, proving the absence of reasoning behind the sanctions even in line with US laws and later lifted sanctions from the Sukhoi company and again the US has taken this vicious track,'' the statement noted.

''Eventually, all similar decisions are an internal problem of the US authorities,'' it pointed out.

''As a result of politicised actions, the US deprives itself and US companies of cooperation with Russia's most advanced companies.

This is called the loss of opportunities in business,'' it said.

''It is up to the US to decide whom it wants to interact with,'' the statement said stressing "Russian companies will always act assuming Russia's interests and within the framework of the Russian legislation, thus in full compliance with Russia's obligations in the area of export control." UNI