MOSCOW, June 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development hopes that growing opposition among US leading business groups to the unilateral imposition of new sanctions by the White House against Russia will produce an effect on the Obama Administration.

On Thursday, the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers prepared newspaper advertisements in the form of a joint statement, warning that potential sanctions on Russian energy, defense and financial sectors might hurt US business and workers.

“Will this appeal work? I think yes,” Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Sergey Belyakov told journalists on Friday on the sidelines of an international investment conference in Moscow. He said the statement was addressed not only to the White House but also to the governments of all countries considering sanctions “an effective instrument to discuss foreign policy issues”.

We often heard earlier that US business’ stance towards Russia sanctions was not as tough as the European one, he said, noting that the business associations’ advertisements suggested the opposite.

“I don’t know whether national governments will listen to the voice of the business community, which forms the economy of these countries,” Belyakov said. “But I wish them to listen.”

The minister recalled that US business representatives had sounded warnings for months in private discussions with the White House and the US State Department.

“Unfortunately, their position has not been heard then, as far as I can judge,” Belyakov said, adding that this probably made the country’s two largest business associations publish the statement.