French MPs vote in favor of lifting EU bans on Russia
France’s lower house of parliament has adopted a non-binding resolution to remove sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia over its alleged role in the Ukraine crisis.
Deputies in the French National Assembly voted on Thursday by 55-44 in support of the resolution. Out of the 577 members, 101 participated in the parliamentary vote.
The resolution, which was put forward by conservative lawmaker Thierry Mariani, urged the government not to extend the anti-Russia sanctions any longer.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s Republicans party, as well as center-right and far-left groups backed the proposal and voted for lifting the sanctions; conversely, the Socialists and Greens voted against it.
The restrictive measures are “totally ineffective today to solve this international crisis and are dangerous for France’s interests,” said Mariani, who represents French residents in East Europe and Russia.
Earlier this year, France’s Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs Emmanuel Macron said his country will by this summer assist in lifting Western-imposed sanctions against Russia.
The European Union, along with the United States, imposed economic sanctions on Russia in July 2014 after Crimea decided in a referendum to separate from Ukraine and rejoin the Russian Federation.
Nearly 97 percent of Crimean citizens voted in favor of secession in the referendum, with a turnout of over 83 percent.
The EU bans, which target Russia’s energy, banking and defense sectors, have been extended until the end of January 2016. The United States also extended its sanctions against Moscow until March 2017.
Russia has responded by imposing an embargo on agricultural produce, food and raw materials against countries that joined the anti-Moscow sanctions.
Washington and its European allies accuse Moscow of destabilizing Ukraine. Moscow, however, rejects having a hand in the crisis gripping the Eastern European state.
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