Russia’s VEB denies it has accounts of individuals, including al-Assad

Russia’s Vnesheconombank (VEB) keeps no accounts of individuals, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s, the bank’s President Vladimir Dmitriyev said on Wednesday, September 18. “In accordance with the Law ‘On the Development Bank’, Vnesheconombank may not open accounts for individuals,” Dmitriyev said, when asked whether the bank kept Al-Assad’s money as American senators had claimed. He dismissed their accusations of unlawful transactions with the Syrian government. “Thank God, the senators have not accused Vnesheconombank of using chemical weapons and killing civilians,” he said. “The senators are looking for possible pretexts to accuse or suspect structures that are not accountable to or controlled by the American administration of violating certain American rules and regulations,” the banker said. He said VEB was acting in accordance with Russian laws and was strictly abiding by international regulations. Dmitriyev noted that VEB had been authorised by the Russian government to service Syria’s foreign debt to Russia as the legal successor to the former Soviet Union.