Norwegian Ship Owners Association calls for sanctions against Russian oil – Government says no – NRK Westland

Last week, wrote about NRK Norwegian-registered vessels engaged in oil exports from Russian ports.

Norway and the European Union have not yet imposed sanctions on Russian oil, a major source of revenue for Putin’s regime.

It has received harsh criticism from many Norwegian politiciansThe oil trade hopes to finance the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky also called on Norwegian companies to suspend ties with Russia. Spoke to Storting on Wednesday last week.

The Norwegian Ship Owners Association is now collaborating with Greenpeace to demand Norwegian and European sanctions against Russian oil.

– It says the EU and Norwegian authorities must take a clear stand on sanctions on oil cargo from Russia to stop the Putin regime’s main cash flow to the war. Harold Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Ship Owners Association.

The request was framed in a letter to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which approved the NRK.

EU: – No national sanctions required

Key spokesman for foreign and security policy Peter Stano, EU, writes in an email to the NRK National authorities do not have to accept specific national sanctions when they have already implemented EU sanctions and adopted them.

– Of course, companies have the freedom to decide whether they want to close their business in Russia for ethical, security or business reasons, even if there are no restrictions.

Stano says the European Commission The work of creating one Comprehensive plan for Russian oil and gas dependence.

It separates the EU from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, all of which have introduced their own sanctions against oil and oil products from Russia.

– did not come out of the Russian agreements

It is up to the companies to decide who to sign contracts with in the EU and in the countries that support EU permit packages.

Many shipping companies have decided not to take new cargo to or from Russia. The Norwegian Shipping Owners Association said in a letter that they were asking their customers to take moral responsibility for the shutdown.

However, some Norwegian shipping companies already had agreements with Russian oil companies For War broke out in Ukraine. This makes the situation difficult, says Solberg.

– These agreements are legal and shipping companies are not exempt from it. So we rely on the Norwegian authorities to take action and allow Russian oil.

Read about Russian oil and gas exports here:

Government: – Will not introduce its own restrictions

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has read the letter. They point out Earlier reports said the government did not want Norway to introduce sanctions beyond cooperating with the EU. It is also not desirable for private companies to introduce their own restrictions.

The reason is that the broader barriers that many countries stand for together work better than some countries introducing their own barriers.

Solberg claims to have understood the argument, but it does not apply:

– Norway will only help a little to ban Russian oil, but Norway will be clear and speak out in favor of authorization in Brussels. See you this weekend Gorgeous pictures from KyivHe says this strengthens the need for the world to take a tighter grip on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Stano writes that the debate over EU sanctions against the Kremlin is ongoing and that new decisions may be made soon.

– Until Putin stops his homicidal campaign against the Ukrainian people, energy is still one of the areas we are still looking at.