Moscow, June 21 (Agency) The Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER II) on Wednesday is planning to finalize the agreement of the 11th package of personal and economic sanctions against Russia, according to the agenda. The meeting’s agenda showed that the discussion would start at 8:30 a.m. local time (06:30 GMT). If the committee unanimously agrees the package, the permanent representatives would launch a technical procedure of the final adoption of sanctions and then publish them on a EU legal portal, which would ensure their entry into force.
Meanwhile, an EU source told RIA Novosti that the discussion of the 11th package of sanctions was proceeding constructively and the final agreement on the matter was expected before June 25. The new sanctions will reportedly target mechanisms for Russia circumventing sanctions, including through third countries, and will not include restrictions on Russian-produced diamonds and nuclear energy. In 2022, Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its military operation in Ukraine. In February 2023, the European Union blocked the transit of European goods and dual-use technologies through Russia in the 10th sanctions package to prevent sanctions evasion. In May, the EU said that its exports to Russia fell by 55% compared to 2021 levels, and Russian imports to the bloc shrank by almost 60% as a result of the sanctions.