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# 											Countering Corruption and Russian Malign Influence in the Western Balkans									

Fact Sheet

Office of the Spokesperson

November 16, 2023

Today, in coordination with the Department of the Treasury, the Department of State is imposing sanctions on two individuals and 12 entities in the Western Balkans. All of the following targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, which authorizes sanctions with respect to specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The Department of State is designating the following individual pursuant to section 1(a)(ii)(F) for engaging in activities that undermine the peace, security, political stability, or territorial integrity of Ukraine—a United States partner:

· MISA VACIC (VACIC) is a Serbian politician who currently serves as the president of the Serbian Right political party. VACIC stated that, at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, he was an “international observer” of Russia’s sham referenda in Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine in September 2022. VACIC advocated for the purported annexation of these regions by Russia.

The following individual is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy:

· NENAD POPOVIC (POPOVIC) served as a Minister in the Government of Serbia from 2017 to 2022 and founded the Serbian People’s Party in 2014. POPOVIC owns numerous companies and holdings in Serbia and Russia and uses senior connections in the Kremlin to enrich himself, secure business for his holdings, and facilitate embezzlement and corrupt tax schemes.

In addition to Popovic, the Department of State is also designating the twelve below companies associated with him:

The following entities are being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, POPOVIC, a person whose property and interests in property is blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024:

o DOMINION TVERSKAYA YAROSLAVSKAYA LLC is a Russia-based real-estate company.

o DOMINION NIKOLSKI LLC is a Russia-based real-estate company.

o ASSET AUTOMATION LLC is Russia-based electronics company.

Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following entity is being designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, ASSET AUTOMATION LLC, a person whose property and interests in property is blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024:

§ JSC ABS ZEIM AUTOMATION is a Russia-based engineering company.

The following entity is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy:

· ASSET ELECTRO LLC is a Moscow-based electronics company that manufactures electricity distribution and control apparatuses. Additionally, ASSET ELECTRO LLC develops projects for industrial processes and industries related to electrical engineering.

Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following entity is being designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, ASSET ELECTRO LLC, a person whose property and interests in property is blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024:

o JOINT STOCK COMPANY ALL-RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF RELAY ENGINEERING WITH EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION (JSC VNIIR) is a Russia-based electronics company.

Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following entity is being designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, by ASSET ELECTRO LLC and JSC VNIIR, persons whose property and interests in property is blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024:

§ VNIIR TRANSSTROI LLC is a Russia-based electronics company.

Pursuant to section 1(a)(vii), the following entities are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, by JSC VNIIR, a person whose property and interests in property is blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024. They are all Russia-based electronics companies:

▫ VNIIR PROMELEKTRO LLC

▫ ABS ELECTROTEKHNIKA LLC

▫ VNIIR GIDROELEKTROAVTOMATIKA JSC

▫ JSC VNIIR PROGRESS

The following entity is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(i) for operating in or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy:

· MOSEN ESSET MENEDZHMENT LLC is a Moscow-based company offering management consulting services. MOSEN ESSET MENEDZHMENT LLC is the trustee company for NENAD POPOVIC’s other Russia-based entities, including ASSET ELECTRO LLC.

Tags

Anti-Corruption and TransparencyBureau of Economic and Business AffairsBureau of European and Eurasian AffairsDivision for Counter Threat Finance and SanctionsOffice of the SpokespersonRussiaSanctionsSerbiaUkraine

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