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Zoom seeks to evolve approach to CIS countries

A company spokesperson said that Zoom continues to be committed to serving customers in the Russian market and CIS

© Mark Lennihan/AP

NEW YORK, April 8. /TASS/. Zoom Video Communications is in the process of evolving its approach to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a company spokesperson said in a statement to TASS.

"Zoom continues to be committed to serving customers in the Russian market and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We are in the process of evolving our approach in the region, and in the meantime, new and existing customers in both the public and private sectors can seek to procure Zoom accounts directly through our website," the statement reads.

Earlier, Russia’s Kommersant daily reported that Zoom Video Communications had prohibited its distributors from selling its online conference services to government agencies and state-owned firms in Russia and former Soviet countries. The newspaper cited a letter by RightConf, Zoom’s distributor in Russia and the CIS, to its partners dated March 31. According to the letter, Zoom Video Communications is revoking its Russian partner's authorization to sell services to state agencies and companies with government beneficiaries. Reports say that RightConf CEO Andrei Petrenko confirmed the authenticity of the letter to Kommersant. He also specified that the restrictions applied not only to Russia, but also to CIS countries. That said, Petrenko added that his company would continue working according to existing contracts.

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