Switzerland aligns with new EU sanctions on Russia that ban coal, caviar

Switzerland adopted on Wednesday a fifth package of EU sanctions against Russia that ban import of caviar, seafood, coal, timber and cement in a bid to punish Russia for a military operation in Ukraine.

"This implements the Federal Council's decision of 13 April to adopt the EU's latest package of sanctions. The measures come into force at 6pm on 27 April 2022," the Swiss government said in a statement.

The new measures ban export of industrial robots, certain chemical products and other goods that can help strengthen Russia's industrial capacities.

An exemption will be made for export of military-grade equipment that protects from nuclear, biological or chemical hazards, under a request from the UN's Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

In the financial sector, Switzerland prohibited support for Russian entities in public ownership and registration of trusts for Russian nationals or residents.

The Council also extended the ban on export of banknotes and sales of securities in Swiss francs and euros to Belarusian nationals and entities to cover all official EU currencies. The same measure is planned for Russia. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )