MOSCOW, October 2 (RIA Novosti) - The sanctions, imposed by the Western countries on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis resemble "legal lawlessness", Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov said on Thursday.
"The word sanctions should not really be really used in this case because sanctions mean legally justified, significant measures, some kind of an international norm. The fact that what we are seeing now is still not sanctions, is a kind of a legal lawlessness," Nikiforov said at a meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Commission on telecommunications and IT in Moscow.
During the meeting the minister also spoke of the government's role in developing Russia's communications industry.
"The Russian communications sector has always been progressing and has become so successful because the state has not interfered, it did lay down conditions, but it has not interfered with the provision of these [telecommunication] services."
"We are ready to be a guide in terms of government regulation for the telecommunications sector to become one of the most developed and competitive on the planet," the minister added.
According to Nikiforov, market competition and government noninterference will help the sector grow. "The industry must progress, for this competition should be developed, and for this modern high quality services have to be provided."
He also noted that Russia has very little leverage in controlling the world web. "The internet is ... two key components: the domain name system and the system of routing IP addresses. Unfortunately, neither is in any way under the control of various structures within the jurisdiction… of the Russian Federation."
The European Union and the United States have been hitting Russia with sanctions over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis. Western sanctions have targeted Russia's largest banks, energy and defense companies, as well as some individuals.
