Russia releases 13-people sanctions list in response to Canada's moves
24 March 2014, 18:48 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry posted on Monday on its website a list of Canadian citizens, who are banned entry to Russia. The list of officials, parliament deputies and public figures of Canada, who are banned entry to Russia on the basis of mutuality due to the Canadian sanctions over Ukraine and Crimea includes 13 names, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The list includes: Christine Hogan - the prime minister's advisor on foreign and defense policy; Wayne G.Wouters - head of the prime minister's administration, Privy Council clerk; Jean-Francois Tremblay - deputy head of the prime minister's administration; Andrew Sheer - speaker of the House of Commons of the parliament; Peter Van Loan - faction head of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons; Raynell Andreychuk - chairperson of the committee of foreign affairs and international trade of the Senate; Dean Allison - chairperson of the committee of foreign affairs and international development of the House of Commons; Paul Dewar - deputy chairman of the committee on foreign affairs and international development of the House of Commons; Irwin Cotler - deputy chairman of the human rights sub-committee of the committee of foreign affairs and international development of the House of Commons; Ted Opitz - member of the House of Commons; Christia Freeland - member of the House of Commons; James Bezan - member of the House of Commons; Paul Grod - president of the Canadian Ukrainian congress.
This step comes in response to unacceptable actions by the Canadian side that have seriously hurt bilateral relations, the ministry said in a statement. Canada joined the US and EU in announcing sanctions last week in response to Crimea rejoining Russia, naming seven Russian and three Crimean officials subject to asset freezes and travel bans.
The region became part of Russia last week following a referendum that saw over 96 percent of voters support the measure.
'We regret that Ottawa has chosen to ignore the free expression of the Crimean citizens, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of the reunification with Russia in accordance with international law and the UN Charter,' the ministry said in a statement criticizing Canada for supporting the government in Kiev, which it calls illegitimate.
Canada's sanctions targeted top officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Crimea's pro-Moscow leader Sergei Aksyonov. The United States' northern neighbor suspended military cooperation with Russia earlier this month in reaction to the situation in Ukraine, as well as halting participation in an intergovernmental economic commission. The EU expanded the number of Russian and Ukrainian officials under sanctions to 33 on Friday, just hours after the United States added 20 more officials to its own list. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday imposed sanctions against nine senior US officials as a proportional response.
Canada slaps sanctions on Crimean - Russian officials
Canada slapped sanctions Monday on seven Russian and three Crimean senior officials it said 'bear political responsibility for the crisis' in the former Soviet satellite. Those targeted by sanctions announced by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper include an advisor and an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
Crimea's Prime Minister Serhiy Aksyonov and chairman of Crimea's parliament, Viktor Medvedchuk, were also named.
The sanctions are in response to Crimea's referendum held Sunday to break away from Ukraine and rejoin Russia.
Harper is scheduled to travel to Ukraine on Saturday to meet with Ukrainian interim prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
He will be the first G7 leader to visit the country since tensions broke out between Ukraine and Russia over the Crimean peninsula.
Canada has 1.2 million citizens who trace their ancestry to Ukraine.
Voice of Russia, RIA, AP, Interfax
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