Nearly 30 Estonian businesses want to keep importing Russian oil products.
According to the Estonian Foreign Ministry, some Estonian businesses have requested a temporary exemption from the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions, as reported on Wednesday by public broadcaster ERR.
The government has released a list of 28 businesses that want to keep importing oil products from Russia despite being required by sanctions to end their contracts with Russian energy corporations by October 10. Trafigura, an oil trader, and Operail, the national railroad of Estonia, are on the list.
“I am convinced that the Estonian public is justifiably interested in knowing which Estonian companies have requested transitional exemptions to continue oil trade with Russia,” ERR quoted Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu as saying.
The sixth set of measures the EU announced in early June included a partial embargo on Russian oil.
With regard to the sanctions policy, Estonia has been openly supportive, with Reinsalu noting that despite requests for exemptions from some businesses, the nation’s authorities are eager to take action to “further bar EU energy trade with Russia” and have put forth proposals for a new EU sanctions package.
