STUTTGART, November 26 (Sputnik) — Russian authorities are not considering responding to Western sanctions by nationalizing the assets of foreign companies operating in Russia, Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev said Wednesday.
"It was asked whether we are to introduce blacklists, whether we will nationalize the assets of German companies. As far as I understand, this is an echo of the infamous 'Rotenberg law'. Of course, there are no such plans," Ulyukayev stated.
Andrey Kostin, head of VTB Bank, which is subject to restrictive measures imposed by the West, also rejected the possibility of Russia nationalizing foreign companies' assets.
"These concerns are fairly easy to refute," said Kostin, who is also currently in Stuttgart.
Over the past months, the European Union, the United States and a number of their allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions targeting Russia's banking, energy and defense sectors, as well as a number of high-ranking officials, over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. Russia has repeatedly denied such claims.
Three readings are required before the lower house can propose the bill as law. In November, Russia's Ministry of Justice called on the parliament to postpone further readings until 2015.
