MOSCOW, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - Canberra has no plans to strengthen sanctions against Russia following the European Union, Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at a press conference in Parliament on Saturday.
“What the EU does is a matter for the EU. We certainly have no plans to increase our sanctions,” Abbott said.
He added that Australia’s main focus is on Operation Bring Them Home, aiming to return the bodies of Australian citizens, who died in MH17 crash, back to the country.
“There are two separate issues here: there's the issue of the geopolitics of Eastern Europe – and people have their opinions on that and some countries are taking action on that – and there's the issue of Operation Bring Them Home and my whole and sole focus is on Operation Bring Them Home,” Abbott stressed.
In March, Australia alongside with the United States and the European Union imposed targeted sanctions against a number of Russian officials and companies as a response to Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
