Nicosia received on Friday a second dossier by the Americans with additional information as regards the reasons that led the USA to impose sanctions on natural and legal entities in Cyprus for infringing restrictions implemented as regards Russia's access to the international financial system, through intermediaries and their businesses. Director of Cyprus President's Press Office, Victoras Papadopoulos, has told CNA that this dossier is less bulky than the first package of information that has been sent from the US to Nicosia and has more technocratic information. It was received today and will be forwarded to the Law Office of the Republic in the framework of the evaluation of the information, to ascertain whether illegal actions have taken place, whether laws of the Republic and EU sanctions have been violated, Papadopoulos said. Asked if a third dossier is expected from the US, Papadopoulos replied in the affirmative, recalling a statement which Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, made earlier this week on the issue, when he announced that the Cypriot authorities had received the first package of information from the US regarding the natural and legal entities in Cyprus included in the US sanctions list. Christodoulides had said then that two more packages were expected in the next period of time and noted that the first package has already been sent to the Attorney General. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has said that the US Department of State and the US Department of Treasury imposed on April 12 sanctions on more than 120 entities and individuals across more than 20 countries and jurisdictions in connection with the Russian Federation's unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, including facilitators of sanctions evasion. Moreover he noted that in coordination with the United Kingdom, "we are targeting sanctions evasion network supporting one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires, Alisher Usmanov, who was sanctioned by the United States last year. In addition to the Usmanov-linked evasion network we are also targeting USM Holding, the primary entity through which Usmanov owns and controls the majority of his companies."
Source: Cyprus News Agency