MOSCOW, July 24. /TASS/. Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house Valentina Matviyenko has warned that any attempts to interfere in the Russian presidential elections due in 2018 will be squashed.
"Such interference [into electoral processes in Russia - TASS] took place in the 1990s. Luckily, those times are gone. But today we see attempts to exert informational influence. Each such attempt will be squashed, measures will be taken," Matviyenko told a news conference on the results of the upper house’s spring session on Monday.
In June, the Federation Council agreed to organize a commission on protection of the state sovereignty and on prevention of interference with Russia’s home affairs. The commission’s task would be to collect, analyze and sort the information on state of the Russian legislation and the enforcement practice in protection of the state sovereignty and in preventing interference with Russia’s home affairs. The commission will suggests how to improve the Russian legislation in that sphere.
Anti-Russian sanctions
Matviyenko expects that the European Union will prevent new sanctions of the US against Russia that will affect the EU energy market.
"The sanctions can harm European companies as well as European business on the whole. This is an attempt to ouster Russia from the energy market of Europe and take this niche. This means infringement on the interests of European states. I hope the EU will hold ground," she said.
She said any unilateral sanctions without the approval of the Security Council are illegal from the point of view of international law, but if besides they have an extra-territorial nature, "then this is the behavior lying beyond the bounds, rudely violating all the established rules and norms".
"The European Union proceeds from its pragmatic interests, our energy resources are cheaper for the Europeans. Russia has always been, is and will remain a reliable supplier, plus substantially cheaper in transportation, and also in price. This is why we are seeing such a reaction from the European Union," Matviyenko said.
She expressed hope that "some dialogue will begin and the European Union will defend its position". "Let us hope for the common sense of the final wording of such restrictions if they will be approved," the speaker said.