MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. The experience of the past two years showed that Russia can successfully work amid restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview aired by the Rossiya-24 TV news channel when commenting on the sanctions’ potential impact on the country’s plans to develop its LNG sector.

"We believe that sanctions are an instrument that is illegal, and its use is aimed only at lobbying the interests of the countries that want to tap their niche on the global markets this way, meaning not through competing from the viewpoint of efficiency of projects, lower cost price, transport and logistical costs, but through brandishing a sanctions stick, forcing everyone to buy their products thus, restricting other countries’ ability to develop. However, the successful experience of the past two years shows that we can continue working and successfully develop our sectors even amid difficult conditions, challenges and restrictions being imposed against our sectors," he said.

Novak noted that this is largely due to import substitution-related decisions made earlier. "If we speak about the oil and gas sector, Russia’s dependence went down from 67% to 35% in the past several years, with the task of ensuring full technological sovereignty set for the future," he stressed.