Russian Foreign Ministry: Moscow has already taken measures to reduce the risks of Western sanctions

Director of the Fourth Department of the CIS Countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Denis Gonchar, announced that Russia has taken timely measures to reduce the risks of the steps taken by the West in the field of economy.

"We have taken measures in advance to reduce the risks associated with dishonest actions on the part of the West in the global economy," Gonchar said during an interview with the Russian "Sputnik" agency, in response to a question about how the crisis in Russian relations with the West affected Moscow's cooperation with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"According to expert estimates, about 30% of Russia's total trade with Azerbaijan is in rubles," the Russian diplomat stressed.

"The structure of Russian economic relations as a whole is not susceptible to external negative factors, and quickly adapts to unusual situations," he added.

Gonchar explained that Russia is still among the main economic partners of Azerbaijan, noting at the same time that work is underway actively to search for new areas of cooperation with Armenia.

Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia, targeting the country's financial and economic sector, in an attempt to stop the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin specified the tasks of that operation, which is to eliminate Ukraine's military and Nazi tendencies in this country, and to protect the citizens of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, from the bombing and continuous attacks by Ukrainian forces.

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