Seven European countries side with EU in extending sanctions against Crimea

Seven European countries — Montenegro, Albania, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Ukraine and Georgia — have confirmed their decision to the EU Council to extend sanctions against Crimea and its naval port of Sevastopol until June 23, 2016, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement posted on the Council of the EU website on July 28.

Six nations, excluding Georgia, have joined the EU decision of July 22 to extend EU economic sanctions against Russia until January 31, 2016.
“On 19 June 2015, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/959. The Council Decision extends existing measures until 23 June 2016,” Mogherini said in a statement. “The Candidate Countries [to join the EU] Montenegro and Albania, and the EFTA [European Free Trade Association] countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and Georgia align themselves with this Declaration.”

Besides, Mogherini said that nine countries had sided with the EU in imposing sanctions on Syria, among them Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.