Kazakhstan is fulfilling its obligations to reduce the re-export of dual-use goods to Russia, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said, Interfax reported on January 11.

“Mr. O'Sullivan (EU Special Envoy for Sanctions) was satisfied with what we have done related to the implementation of our international obligations on export control. (...) I can say that today Kazakhstan is fulfilling its obligations properly,” Shakkaliyev said at a briefing in the Senate in answer to a question about Kazakhstan's actions to stop sending sanctioned goods to Russia.

Answering the question whether there are companies that bypass sanctions to supply goods to Russia, the minister made assurances that there have been no companies doing this in the past six months.

At the end of November 2023, EU Special Envoy for Sanctions David O'Sullivan stated that Kazakhstan had significantly reduced its re-export of dual-use goods to Russia, but there was an increase in the exports of other goods.

The European Commission established the post of EU International Special Envoy on Sanctions to ensure continuous high-level dialogue with third countries to avoid evading or circumventing the restrictive measures imposed on Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

Since February 2022, the European Union has approved 12 packages of sanctions against Russia. The USA, Great Britain and other countries have also imposed their own sanctions on Russia.