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Bill on Russia’s countersanctions put on lower parliament house’ agenda

The bill gives the Russian government the right to impose a number economic and political measures against the US

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. A bill on response measures to the unfriendly actions by the United States and/or other foreign states has been put on the agenda of Russia’s State Duma lower parliament house, according to information posted on Duma’s e-database on Friday.

The bill was initiated by the leaders of the Duma’s factions and speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. "The bill was drafted as a response to the United States’ and its officials’ challenges expressed in unfriendly and non-constructive actions in the form of sanctions against Russia, its citizens and legal entities," the explanatory note reads.

The bill gives the Russian government the right to impose a number economic and political measures to rebuff the United States’ unfriendly actions. Under the bill, countersanctions can be imposed by the cabinet of ministers by the Russian president’s decision.

Ban on medicines, tobaccos and alcohol imports

The bill provides for a "ban or restrictions on imports farming products, raw materials and food, tobaccos and alcohol originating from the United States and/or other foreign countries." The ban is applicable to medicines, with a reservation that it does not cover medicines with no Russia-manufactures analogues.

Black lists and restricted cooperation

The bill also envisages entry bans for US citizens. The lists of such people will be drawn by the Russian foreign ministry. Apart from that, the bill imposes a ban on employing US citizens in Russia, including highly-qualified specialists.

More to it, the bill provides for "halting and suspending international cooperation between Russia and Russian legal entities with the United States and organizations that are directly or indirectly under its jurisdiction or jurisdiction of other foreign states in such sectors as aircraft-building and rocket engine-building." Restrictions cover technological equipment and software manufactured in the United States. Apart from that, US companies will be denied access to privatization of government and municipal assets in Russia or such access will be limited.

Federal and regional authorities will be responsible for "elaborating mechanisms of substitution commodity, works and services of the US origin with Russian analogs or analogs of foreign origin (with the exception of countries supporting the US’ policy).

These bans however will not be applicable to Russian or foreign citizens bringing such goods for personal use.

"The bill when passed into law will give an impetus to the development of domestic sectoral markets and will consolidate Russia’s political positions on the global arena," the explanatory note says, adding that such measures will help develop Russia’s economic ties with those foreign partners who are against the US’ policy of sanctions.