- Prior to the latest wave of sanctions in early 2022, over 400 Italian companies were operating in the Russian market, Sergey Razov said
According to TASS, Russia's state-owned news agency article published on October 20, 2022, though some Italian companies have left the Russian market, there is no talk about an exodus of all Italian business, Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov said in an interview with TASS on Wednesday.
Prior to the latest wave of sanctions in early 2022, over 400 Italian companies were operating in the Russian market, he said. "They operated efficiently, with considerable profit for themselves. Unfortunately, some of them decided to leave the Russian market for one reason or another, though there is no talk about a mass exodus of Italian companies," the diplomat added.
Brussels and Washington are exerting real pressure, "threatening so-called secondary sanctions for failure or improper implementation of sanctions against Russia," Razov said. "We have no information about any coercion on companies by the Italian authorities, though there have been some verbal appeals to that effect," he added.
The Russian side has always claimed it is ready to help foreign businesses operating in its market, maintaining the necessary support (in the form of subsidized loans, participation in government contracts, the implementation of projects in special economic zones and tech clusters), the envoy noted.
