U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Lesslie Viguerie, in an interview with Tazabek, commented on why companies from Kyrgyzstan are subject to sanctions.
The diplomat noted that the sanctions are applied to a narrow category of goods — about 45 agreed upon HS codes, such as aircraft parts, printed circuit boards and other items that the United States and partners, including Europe, Japan and South Korea, believe are used for weapons. These dual-use components have been found in Russian weapons found on the battlefield.
The sanctions are not intended to prevent Kyrgyzstan from maintaining economic relations with Russia. We do not pursue such a goal.
U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Lesslie Viguerie
«We are closely monitoring whether countries allow parallel exports. I would like to emphasize that we are talking about only 45 titles. It is not the huge volume of trade that likely resulted from sanctions in Europe. It’s not that important. Indeed, what is really important is that we are concerned about preventing potential parallel exports to Russia that supply the Russian military,» Lesslie Viguerie said.
On February 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against the Kyrgyz company Ucon LLC. It shipped aircraft components and parts to Russia, violating U.S. export control laws. That is why the company was included in the sanctions list.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury also imposed sanctions against the Russian joint-stock company National Payment Card System, through which the MIR payment system operates. Russia used it to build its financial infrastructure to avoid other sanctions.
«I have to mention two more Kyrgyz companies that have been added to the sanctions list — Muller Markt LLC and Profflab LLC. These companies were also caught sending goods to Russia.
Such companies often order products from suppliers in the United States, Europe, South Korea or Japan, providing incorrect information about the end consumer. Our law enforcement agencies are pursuing companies that do not pay enough attention to what orders they receive for these goods if they are sent to Kyrgyzstan,» Lesslie Viguerie said.
How it works? The company orders some spare part, it arrives in Kyrgyzstan, and then it is immediately transported to Russia.
«These aviation spare parts are not used for any aircraft in Kyrgyzstan. They are sent for Russian aircraft. This is a profitable area, since Russians are ready to pay more than usual to get these goods,» the Ambassador concluded.
