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28 Mar 2017, 10:28

Kremlin notes Russian bank's contacts with Trump's son-in-law 'usual business practice'

Peskov also stressed that the Kremlin was not aware of contacts between Vnesheconombank and Jared Kushner

MOSCOW, March 28 /TASS/. The Kremlin was not aware of the contacts between Vnesheconombank and Jared Kushner, head of Kushner Companies and senior adviser to US President, as it was part of VEB's routine business activity, the Russian President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"This is an ordinary business," the Kremlin spokesman said, recalling that Vnesheconombank had already provided relevant explanation.

Peskov stressed that Kremlin was not aware of such contacts.

"No. This concerns the bank’s activities. The bank prepares the development program and, of course, the government and the Kremlin are aware of this program, because this is a very important and strategic development institution, but as for routine work, operational management this is an exclusive prerogative of the bank's management," he said. 

Earlier, The New York Times reported citing sources that Trump's son-in-law and his senior adviser Jared Kushner may be summoned for interrogation by the Senate intelligence as part of the investigation of ties between the Trump team and Russia.

The publication notes that in the end of 2016 Kushner met with the head of VEB Sergei Gorkov.

In its turn, VEB said that in 2016 the bank’s management bank repeatedly met with representatives of the world's leading financial institutions.

"The meetings were held in the format of roadshow on Vnesheconombank's development strategy until 2021 and involved a number of representatives of the largest banks and business circles of the United States, including head of Kushner Companies Jared Kushner," the state corporation said.

On February 26, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Sergei Gorkov as the new head of VEB.

Gorkov, who was earlier Deputy CEO of Russia’s largest savings bank Sberbank, replaced Vladimir Dmitriev, who headed VEB for the past 12 years.

In autumn 2016, VEB’s supervisory board approved a new development strategy for the state corporation. VEB is on the list of Russian state companies that are subject to the US sanctions.