The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, responded to the condemnation in the Western press of Russia for the fact that Russian laws on limiting the circulation of land plots in some territories for foreign citizens “follow in line with the policy of harassment and discrimination”.
The decree prohibiting foreigners, foreign companies and stateless persons from owning land plots in most of Crimea came into force on March 20. The restriction is valid in 19 out of 25 municipalities of the Republic of Crimea. President Vladimir Putin signed this decree a year ago. In accordance with it, Crimea was included in the list of border areas where foreigners cannot be the owners of land plots. In addition, the decree lists municipalities in the Kaliningrad region.
As Zakharova noted in her Telegram channel, another wave of condemnation of Russia passed in the “Western press” for the fact that Russian laws limiting the turnover of land plots in some territories for foreign citizens are “legally null and void” and “follow in line with the policy of harassment and discrimination”. According to her, for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, “did not rage like a child”.
“Somehow, behind the scenes of this“ righteous anger, ”information was left that, for example, in the second half of June, official Tokyo adopted a number of laws aimed at“ strengthening national security. ”Of particular interest is the law of the 16th. tightens regulation of transactions with land located next to entire classes of facilities and institutions, including: military units, nuclear power plants, some “critical infrastructure” and areas in border areas”, – Zakharova wrote.
She explained that, according to the adopted Japanese laws, the legislator sets a rather strict framework for foreigners who want to acquire land in limited “special zones”, making the purchase not only unprofitable, but practically meaningless – the authorities get the right to imprison the land owner for up to two years if the court considers the use of private property “improper”. Zakharova added that in parallel with this measure, the squeezing of foreign investors from Japanese corporations continues.
According to her, at first, the state sharply increased its role in large business transactions in strategic areas in the event of a foreign element in Japan, and now plans to maintain control over the company after the completion of the investment project, up to blocking the actions of foreign shareholders.
“The most interesting thing is, as always, in the substantiation of the new regulation. The Japanese refer to” similar acts in the USA, Australia, the Republic of Korea and Great Britain. “That is, Russia is far from being among the leaders, it turns out, in terms of restrictions for foreigners. The pioneers are the same.” supporters of a liberal business turnover. “Only here are the protectionist, statist measures that the G7 countries are introducing into their economies more and more actively, not especially with liberalism, as experienced gamblers say”, – wrote an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.