By Aigerim Turgunbaeva
BISHKEK, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan said on Tuesday the European Union’s sanctions envoy would visit on February 26 after a report that the EU was planning to ban some exports to the Central Asian country for allegedly facilitating Russian sanctions evasion.
Bloomberg News reported last week that the EU was considering the first use of its “last resort” anti-sanctions evasion tool by banning exports of certain categories of goods to Kyrgyzstan.
In a statement, Kyrgyzstan’s government said Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiev held a video call with EU envoy David O’Sullivan on Tuesday and they agreed on “constructive and substantive dialogue on sanctions-related issues”.
It said further talks would take place during O’Sullivan’s visit to Bishkek later this month.
A mountainous country of 7 million people, Kyrgyzstan has enjoyed rapid economic growth in recent years, partly by becoming a main clearinghouse for trade with Russia redirected by Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Several Kyrgyz bank and cryptocurrency firms have come under U.S., EU and British sanctions for allegedly facilitating illicit trade with Russia.
Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, continues to host Russian military bases and is in a customs union with Russia, where many of its citizens work as migrant labourers.
(Reporting by Aigerim Turgunbaeva; writing by Felix Light; editing by Mark Heinrich)
