Announcement of Entry Restrictions for Russian Unfriendly Nationals... Targeting 47 Countries Including Han

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russia has announced that it is pushing to restrict entry into Russia for nationals of so-called 'unfriendly countries' participating in sanctions against Russia. Entry restrictions are expected to apply to 47 countries, including the United States and the European Union (EU), which are leading the sanctions against Russia, as well as South Korea and other countries participating in the sanctions.

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 28th (local time), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the International Cooperation and Overseas Koreans Support Committee of the ruling United Russia party and said, "In response to many unfriendly actions by foreign countries, entry restriction measures are being prepared by presidential decree." He added, "This bill will impose many restrictions on entry into Russia for those countries."

So far, entry restrictions have been applied to some senior officials of the U.S. and EU, but the measures will now be expanded to all nationals of unfriendly countries. This move is interpreted as a countermeasure against Western sanctions.

Earlier, the Russian government also announced measures to prohibit foreign investors from withdrawing assets from the Russian financial sector. On the 25th, the Central Bank of Russia announced on its official website that "measures such as restricting capital movement of foreigners from unfriendly countries, prohibiting foreign investors from selling securities and withdrawing financial assets have been implemented."

Additionally, payments of principal and interest on Russian government bonds and corporate bonds to foreigners from unfriendly countries will require approval from government-related committees. In response to some asset freezes on Russia, Russia has also restricted asset transfers of similar scale that could move to unfriendly countries.

Meanwhile, on the 7th, the Russian government announced a list of unfriendly countries, stating, "We designate countries and regions that have taken unfriendly actions against Russia, Russian companies, and Russians." The list includes 47 countries such as the United States and the 27 EU member states leading the sanctions against Russia, as well as South Korea, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.