Belgium said Russia "woof"?
Home news of the day - the arrest by Belgian bailiffs of state assets of Russia, allegedly made under the suit of Yukos Universal Limited. The original source of these messages, apparently, is "Interfax". Then the news referring to the agency went for a walk through the Moscow media - “Gazeta.ru,” “Lenta.ru,” “Utro.ru”; The Russian-language Forbes has also joined. In the meantime, a statement from the European Court of Human Rights came to the editorial staff of the TV channel “Rain”. The ECtHR refuted information about the connection between the decision of the Belgian authorities to arrest the property of Russia and the claim of Yukos Universal Limited. Let's try to figure out what actually happened, and where the wind is blowing from.
17 June "Interfax" a material was published under the heading “Belgian bailiffs arrested the state assets of Russia under the claim of YUKOS”. And with the subtitle: “The ECtHR previously demanded that the Russian Federation submit a plan for paying 15 billion euros to oil company shareholders before 1,6 June, but Moscow did not do that.”
Quote:
As the representative of the bailiffs office Mark Sacre - Stefan Sacre - Pit De Smet told Interfax, the organizations listed in the list are obliged to declare the funds, assets of the Russian Federation and debts to the Russian Federation within two weeks.
Almost all large banks registered in Belgium have been included in the list. Interfax indicates that even Eurocontrol, which regulates air traffic over Europe, got there.
All Russian representations, except for those protected by diplomatic immunity, were included in the list. It is even about the property of the Archdiocese of the Brussels and the Belgian ROC, the agency said.
The substantive part of the arrest warrant refers to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which the Russian Federation refused to voluntarily comply with: “The ECtHR requested the Russian Federation to submit a payment plan for the entire amount specified in its decision (more than a billion euros) no later than June 15 2015 of the year costs no later than the same date. No plan has been submitted in due time and no payments have been made. ”
As another rationale for the arrest of assets, the fact that “the Russian government has repeatedly stated that it considers the court decision to be purely political” is mentioned, and there is no indication in the Russian budget for 2015 for its implementation.
Similar information with reference to Interfax is given, for example, "Lenta.ru", Utro.ru, Gazeta.ru, Russian version of the magazine "Forbes".
Some sources simply retold the news from Interfax, others approached the matter thoroughly.
Journalists Alexey Topalov, Ekaterina Mereminskaya, Elena Platonova (Gazeta.ru) appealed to people who could give valuable information about the reports of the arrest of property of Russia.
In Aeroflot, correspondents were told that they had not received any documents about the arrest of property in Belgium.
The archbishop of Brussels and Belgium, Simon (Ishunin), told the publication: "I also just learned from the Internet." He clarified that in Belgium there are seventeen parishes in the diocese, but all are funded by donations and are registered with Belgian societies established in accordance with EU laws. “We have nothing from the Moscow Patriarchate,” he noted.
Meanwhile, on the night of June 18, other news appeared in the media.
“ECHR: the arrest of Russian property in Belgium is not related to the YUKOS case” - under this title in 00: 47 h. 18 June a message was posted on the channel "Rain".
In a small volume, it is noted that the European Court of Human Rights denied Interfax’s information about the connection between the decision of the Belgian authorities to arrest Russian property and the claim of Yukos Universal Limited. This is stated in the statement received by the editorial staff of Dozhd. Quote:
Representatives of the ECHR also told Rain: “Information that Belgium’s current actions are based on Russia's failure to comply with the Court’s decision on the Yukos case is incorrect.”
Expert of the National Energy Security Foundation, political scientist Igor Yushkov said Gazeta.ru about "throw". According to the political analyst, the statement about the arrest of Russian assets on the eve of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum can be viewed as an attempt to torpedo the SPIEF.
Information stuffing, believes Yushkov, aims to show foreign companies that Russian partners, namely state-owned companies, are unreliable: their property may be seized. Moreover, the topic of arrest will become dominant in the media, which will distract from the real deals that can be made during SPIEF.
“The Belgian situation is a warning that Europe is ready to arrest Russian property in principle,” the political scientist explained. - A signal that can be, if the claim for compensation for the Crimea will give Ukraine. And now everything will depend on the reaction of the Kremlin. "
“The rationale for the arrest of assets is the fact that“ the Russian government has repeatedly stated that it considers the court decision of the ECHR in the YUKOS case to be “purely political” and there is no indication in the RF budget 2015 of its implementation, ”said the head of the Political Expert Group. Konstantin Kalachev.
“It is impossible to consider this decision purely judicial. The political component is obviously present, - he noted. - There is a reason, and there are reasons. It's not even in Ukraine already. The fact is that Russia wants to show its vulnerability. ”
Political analyst Alexei Makarkin says that the arrest of property will worsen relations between Russia and Europe, but "they are already very bad."
Makarkin admits that Moscow’s response may be asymmetrical: “They may find tax irregularities with Belgian companies operating in Russia, send fire or sanitary inspection.”
“The defendant in the lawsuit of the former shareholders of Yukos is the Russian Federation, and only assets that are 100 percent owned by the Russian Federation are subject to arrest,” Andrei Zelenin, a partner at Lidings law firm, told the publication. “However, it is doubtful that in Belgium it will be possible to arrest the assets of the Russian Federation for an amount sufficient to meet the demands.” “Most likely, the issue will be resolved in the coming days through diplomatic channels, as has already happened before,” the lawyer added.
Let's fast forward to the recent past. Just a couple of years ago. Open the newspaper "Commercial and industrial statements" (edition of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation) for 9 April 2013.
In 2013, 160 was just celebrated during the years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Belgium. In honor of this date, the reporter Kristina Komarova interviewed the Ambassador of Belgium in Moscow Guy Trouveroy.
The Ambassador said the relations between Russia and Belgium are “good”. And he noted that "the new modern Russia is investment attractive for many Belgian companies."
Speaking about the level of trade cooperation between the two countries, Trouuerua said: “I rate it as very high. Belgium takes about 6-8 -th place among the trade partners of Russia. The total turnover in 2012 amounted to 13-14 billion euros ... "
According to the diplomat, 70 of Belgian manufactures worked in Russia at that time. At the same time, “more and more Russian trade associations” were entering the Belgian market.
“Thus,” the ambassador concluded, “our trade and economic relations can be called pretty good.”
Would it be possible to call them “pretty good” if the parties start exchanging something like asset seizures and inspections? The question is rhetorical.
“The experts correctly stated to you - one way or another, the arrest of assets will be lifted,” Politonline.ru unnamed top official. - Supporters of “Maidan” in Ukraine will be happy, the opposition in social networks and liberal media will rejoice, the West will make a statement, the Kremlin will comment. Just Belgium will be like an old joke - deleted from the list of partners. And worse from this, as you understand (in the current state of the EU) will not be Russia ”.
It remains only to find out what exactly the Belgian authorities are trying to arrest the property of Russia. Since the "Yukos affair" has nothing to do with it.
The tiny info 18 Jun gave RIA News". Following the Dozhd TV channel, the agency confirmed that the Council of Europe had denied the report about the existing connection between the decision of the Belgian authorities to arrest Russian property and the ECHR verdict in the YUKOS case.
RIA “Novosti” has received a statement from the spokesman for the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Daniel Holtgen. The document states that the statement of one of the Russian news agencies regarding the "causal link between the decisions of the Belgian authorities and the execution by Russia of the ECHR ruling on the Yukos case is false."
According to the press secretary, “the information that the decision taken by Belgium is based on the refusal of Russia to comply with the decision of the Court in the YUKOS case is wrong.”
And then RIA "Novosti" reported that the Russian Embassy in Belgium has not yet commented on the situation surrounding the notification of Belgian bailiffs about the arrest of Russian assets.
Earlier, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would do everything necessary under international law to protect Russia's property abroad.
TASS quotes a statement by presidential aide Andrei Belousov. He told the press that the arrest of Russian property in Belgium and France is illegal and will be disputed.
“We consider the decisions of the ECtHR and the Hague Arbitration to be quite controversial. International lawyers are now working to protect our decisions. We predicted this situation, ”the agency quotes him.
Also TASS quotes the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexey Ulyukayev. In an interview with RBC, he stated that claims to Russian property in Belgium did not come as a surprise and would be appealed. According to Ulyukayev, this is “a predictable measure, we have seen such risks before. The decision of the Stockholm arbitration gives grounds for countries to take such actions. ”
Ulyukaev said that he does not yet have information on which assets the arbitration award concerns.
Thus, it remains only to wait. Information for reflection is not enough.
17 June "Interfax" a material was published under the heading “Belgian bailiffs arrested the state assets of Russia under the claim of YUKOS”. And with the subtitle: “The ECtHR previously demanded that the Russian Federation submit a plan for paying 15 billion euros to oil company shareholders before 1,6 June, but Moscow did not do that.”
Quote:
“On Wednesday, Russian institutions in Belgium, with the exception of diplomatic missions, received orders from the bailiffs to arrest the state property of the Russian Federation at their disposal.
The document states that the arrest is made on the basis of the decision of the Belgian Arbitration Court of 18 July 2014 of the year under the claim of the company Yukos Universal Limited.
The amount of the claim specified in it is 1,6 billion euros. ”
The document states that the arrest is made on the basis of the decision of the Belgian Arbitration Court of 18 July 2014 of the year under the claim of the company Yukos Universal Limited.
The amount of the claim specified in it is 1,6 billion euros. ”
As the representative of the bailiffs office Mark Sacre - Stefan Sacre - Pit De Smet told Interfax, the organizations listed in the list are obliged to declare the funds, assets of the Russian Federation and debts to the Russian Federation within two weeks.
Almost all large banks registered in Belgium have been included in the list. Interfax indicates that even Eurocontrol, which regulates air traffic over Europe, got there.
All Russian representations, except for those protected by diplomatic immunity, were included in the list. It is even about the property of the Archdiocese of the Brussels and the Belgian ROC, the agency said.
The substantive part of the arrest warrant refers to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which the Russian Federation refused to voluntarily comply with: “The ECtHR requested the Russian Federation to submit a payment plan for the entire amount specified in its decision (more than a billion euros) no later than June 15 2015 of the year costs no later than the same date. No plan has been submitted in due time and no payments have been made. ”
As another rationale for the arrest of assets, the fact that “the Russian government has repeatedly stated that it considers the court decision to be purely political” is mentioned, and there is no indication in the Russian budget for 2015 for its implementation.
Similar information with reference to Interfax is given, for example, "Lenta.ru", Utro.ru, Gazeta.ru, Russian version of the magazine "Forbes".
Some sources simply retold the news from Interfax, others approached the matter thoroughly.
Journalists Alexey Topalov, Ekaterina Mereminskaya, Elena Platonova (Gazeta.ru) appealed to people who could give valuable information about the reports of the arrest of property of Russia.
In Aeroflot, correspondents were told that they had not received any documents about the arrest of property in Belgium.
The archbishop of Brussels and Belgium, Simon (Ishunin), told the publication: "I also just learned from the Internet." He clarified that in Belgium there are seventeen parishes in the diocese, but all are funded by donations and are registered with Belgian societies established in accordance with EU laws. “We have nothing from the Moscow Patriarchate,” he noted.
Meanwhile, on the night of June 18, other news appeared in the media.
“ECHR: the arrest of Russian property in Belgium is not related to the YUKOS case” - under this title in 00: 47 h. 18 June a message was posted on the channel "Rain".
In a small volume, it is noted that the European Court of Human Rights denied Interfax’s information about the connection between the decision of the Belgian authorities to arrest Russian property and the claim of Yukos Universal Limited. This is stated in the statement received by the editorial staff of Dozhd. Quote:
"Today's message from the Interfax agency, in which there is a causal link between the decision of the Belgian authorities and the execution by Russia of the ECtHR decision on the Yukos case, is erroneous," the court said in a statement.
The ECHR claims that the conditions for enforcing the decision on the Yukos suit are currently being discussed in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, including with the participation of Russia. ”
The ECHR claims that the conditions for enforcing the decision on the Yukos suit are currently being discussed in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, including with the participation of Russia. ”
Representatives of the ECHR also told Rain: “Information that Belgium’s current actions are based on Russia's failure to comply with the Court’s decision on the Yukos case is incorrect.”
Expert of the National Energy Security Foundation, political scientist Igor Yushkov said Gazeta.ru about "throw". According to the political analyst, the statement about the arrest of Russian assets on the eve of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum can be viewed as an attempt to torpedo the SPIEF.
Information stuffing, believes Yushkov, aims to show foreign companies that Russian partners, namely state-owned companies, are unreliable: their property may be seized. Moreover, the topic of arrest will become dominant in the media, which will distract from the real deals that can be made during SPIEF.
“The Belgian situation is a warning that Europe is ready to arrest Russian property in principle,” the political scientist explained. - A signal that can be, if the claim for compensation for the Crimea will give Ukraine. And now everything will depend on the reaction of the Kremlin. "
“The rationale for the arrest of assets is the fact that“ the Russian government has repeatedly stated that it considers the court decision of the ECHR in the YUKOS case to be “purely political” and there is no indication in the RF budget 2015 of its implementation, ”said the head of the Political Expert Group. Konstantin Kalachev.
“It is impossible to consider this decision purely judicial. The political component is obviously present, - he noted. - There is a reason, and there are reasons. It's not even in Ukraine already. The fact is that Russia wants to show its vulnerability. ”
Political analyst Alexei Makarkin says that the arrest of property will worsen relations between Russia and Europe, but "they are already very bad."
Makarkin admits that Moscow’s response may be asymmetrical: “They may find tax irregularities with Belgian companies operating in Russia, send fire or sanitary inspection.”
“The defendant in the lawsuit of the former shareholders of Yukos is the Russian Federation, and only assets that are 100 percent owned by the Russian Federation are subject to arrest,” Andrei Zelenin, a partner at Lidings law firm, told the publication. “However, it is doubtful that in Belgium it will be possible to arrest the assets of the Russian Federation for an amount sufficient to meet the demands.” “Most likely, the issue will be resolved in the coming days through diplomatic channels, as has already happened before,” the lawyer added.
Let's fast forward to the recent past. Just a couple of years ago. Open the newspaper "Commercial and industrial statements" (edition of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation) for 9 April 2013.
In 2013, 160 was just celebrated during the years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Belgium. In honor of this date, the reporter Kristina Komarova interviewed the Ambassador of Belgium in Moscow Guy Trouveroy.
The Ambassador said the relations between Russia and Belgium are “good”. And he noted that "the new modern Russia is investment attractive for many Belgian companies."
Speaking about the level of trade cooperation between the two countries, Trouuerua said: “I rate it as very high. Belgium takes about 6-8 -th place among the trade partners of Russia. The total turnover in 2012 amounted to 13-14 billion euros ... "
According to the diplomat, 70 of Belgian manufactures worked in Russia at that time. At the same time, “more and more Russian trade associations” were entering the Belgian market.
“Thus,” the ambassador concluded, “our trade and economic relations can be called pretty good.”
Would it be possible to call them “pretty good” if the parties start exchanging something like asset seizures and inspections? The question is rhetorical.
“The experts correctly stated to you - one way or another, the arrest of assets will be lifted,” Politonline.ru unnamed top official. - Supporters of “Maidan” in Ukraine will be happy, the opposition in social networks and liberal media will rejoice, the West will make a statement, the Kremlin will comment. Just Belgium will be like an old joke - deleted from the list of partners. And worse from this, as you understand (in the current state of the EU) will not be Russia ”.
It remains only to find out what exactly the Belgian authorities are trying to arrest the property of Russia. Since the "Yukos affair" has nothing to do with it.
The tiny info 18 Jun gave RIA News". Following the Dozhd TV channel, the agency confirmed that the Council of Europe had denied the report about the existing connection between the decision of the Belgian authorities to arrest Russian property and the ECHR verdict in the YUKOS case.
RIA “Novosti” has received a statement from the spokesman for the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Daniel Holtgen. The document states that the statement of one of the Russian news agencies regarding the "causal link between the decisions of the Belgian authorities and the execution by Russia of the ECHR ruling on the Yukos case is false."
According to the press secretary, “the information that the decision taken by Belgium is based on the refusal of Russia to comply with the decision of the Court in the YUKOS case is wrong.”
And then RIA "Novosti" reported that the Russian Embassy in Belgium has not yet commented on the situation surrounding the notification of Belgian bailiffs about the arrest of Russian assets.
Earlier, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would do everything necessary under international law to protect Russia's property abroad.
TASS quotes a statement by presidential aide Andrei Belousov. He told the press that the arrest of Russian property in Belgium and France is illegal and will be disputed.
“We consider the decisions of the ECtHR and the Hague Arbitration to be quite controversial. International lawyers are now working to protect our decisions. We predicted this situation, ”the agency quotes him.
Also TASS quotes the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexey Ulyukayev. In an interview with RBC, he stated that claims to Russian property in Belgium did not come as a surprise and would be appealed. According to Ulyukayev, this is “a predictable measure, we have seen such risks before. The decision of the Stockholm arbitration gives grounds for countries to take such actions. ”
Ulyukaev said that he does not yet have information on which assets the arbitration award concerns.
Thus, it remains only to wait. Information for reflection is not enough.
Information