Extension of anti-Russia sanctions not good for world economy: Kremlin

The decision of the Group of Seven (G7) to extend sanctions against Russia will not have a positive impact on the global economy and on global affairs, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the G7 which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the US, representing the world's major industrial nations, said in a statement that they had decided to extend sanctions against Russia or even adopt "new restrictive measures", Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Kremlin's position has not changed: we still believe that this is not an issue on our agenda," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The West has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its takeover of the Crimean peninsula and alleged interference in the Ukraine crisis since 2014.

The West has long accused Moscow of failing to meet its obligations, which Russia has denied.

In response to Western sanctions, Moscow has banned imports of some foodstuffs and other products from countries that introduced the restrictions.

--IANS

lok/