ASTANA (Interfax-Kazakhstan) — Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Timur Suleimenov discussed, during his visit to Washington, with representatives of the US State Department possible impacts of anti-Russian sanctions on the economy of Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy says in a press release.

US sanctions have been made on a number of Russian oligarchs and their companies, including Viktor Vekselberg and Oleg Deripaska — whose En+ Group controls RusAl, the world’s second largest producer of primary aluminium. Subsequently, the Russian stock market suffered heavy losses, and the rouble lost value against both the US dollar and euro. Kazakhstan’s financial and economic institutions began working out possible scenarios regarding the potential impact on the economy.