US Lawmaker Calls Out Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Lack’ of Russia Sanctions Enforcement
Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked the Kyrgyz Republic to “swiftly” investigate allegations that the country’s government has helped Russia evade international sanctions. In an Aug 8 letter to President Sadyr Japarov, Menendez said Kyrgyzstan has “dramatically expanded its import-export business with Russia” since Russia launched its war against Ukraine, and said Kyrgyzstan’s “lack of enforcement or worse -- complicit facilitation of trade with Russia in products that implicate sanctions, such as drones, aircraft parts, weapon accessories, and circuitry -- is reportedly enabling Russia to evade international sanctions.”
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He urged the country “to immediately investigate these serious allegations of sanctions evasion and to establish more reliable, robust processes to prevent the illicit flow of goods through your territory.” Menendez also asked that the government “refrain from altering the format of export data published by the Kyrgyz Republic’s National Statistics Committee and revert to using the 10-digit codes adopted widely by the international community.”