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The Hague court decision on Yukos - not final word, lawmaker says

Russia does not recognize its jurisdiction as a country that has not ratified the Energy Charter, the senator said

Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague EPA/GUUS SHOONEWILLE

Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague

© EPA/GUUS SHOONEWILLE

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MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev does not consider the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague to order Russia to pay $50 billion to the former Yukos shareholders to be the final verdict.

"I definitely do not think that the decisions announced recently, specifically, the decisions of the Court [of Arbitration] at The Hague are the final verdict, the more so since Russia does not recognize its jurisdiction as a country that has not ratified the Energy Charter," the senator told reporters on Friday. "I see no reason for pessimism, there are grounds for working in this direction actively and professionally," he added.

According to Kosachev, the Yukos case "is a legal issue and it should remain legal." "I am sure that far from all legal arguments are already on the table and have been taken into consideration by the parties to the conflict," he said. The senator voiced confidence that "the legal arguments of the Russian side had the priority of existence just like our opponents’ arguments."

Kosachev noted that the Russian arguments were quite strong, but "so far they were not duly considered." "But this is the next stage. The claims have been made, and now reasoned legal answers to these claims are being prepared. I would not like to take this issue to a political dimension - it should remain a legal issue," he added.

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