The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation removed a duplicate sanctions list entry for Sergey Borisovich Korolev, member of Rosatom's supervisory board, and amended the entry for Alexey Viktorovich Kuzmichev, member of Alfa Group Consortium's supervisory board.

The U.K.'s third round of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, held March 12-16, made "[g]ood progress" and centered on technical discussions across 13 policy areas, the Department for International Trade said March 22. The fourth round of talks is expected to be held in the U.K. later this year.

The U.K. this week added people and entities designated under its Regulation 11 Russia sanctions to the list of parties designated under its Regulation 18C trust services restrictions. "This means that it is now prohibited to provide trust services to or for the benefit of these persons, unless permitted by a licence or there is an applicable exception," OFSI said. The change took effect March 21.

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its Russia sanctions guidance on licenses that permit conduct otherwise barred by regulation 54C. Regulation 54C covers the provision of "accounting, advertising, architectural, auditing, business and management consulting, engineering, IT consultancy and design and public relations services," to a person linked with Russia, the EU Sanctions blog reported. The guidance clarifies that a license may be granted under this regulation "if it is necessary for ensuring critical energy supply to any country."

A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with a recent sanctions decision from the EU concerning restrictions against serious human rights abuses. The European Council earlier this month added nine individuals and three entities to this sanctions regime, with North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also imposing the decision, the council said March 21.

The U.K. removed Irish journalist Brian McDonald from its Russia sanctions regime. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation also amended information for Igor Viktorovich Makarov, president of ARETI International Group, and struck a duplicate entry for Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant.

A Black Sea grain export deal, allowing continued safe passage of certain Ukrainian agricultural exports amid the country’s war with Russia, has been extended (see 2207250004). Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted March 18 that the U.N., Turkey and others worked with Russia to extend the deal for another 120 days, although Russia’s foreign ministry said it agreed to a 60-day extension, the Associated Press reported.

European countries not in the EU aligned with a recent sanctions decision from the European Council under the Syria sanctions regime. The council said it exempted for six months restrictions for humanitarian work in light of the recent earthquakes that devastated the country. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Armenia also imposed the exemption.

The EU added eight people and one entity to its Iran sanctions regime, the European Council announced. The individuals are members of the judiciary responsible for issuing death sentences in "unfair trials and for the torturing of convicts," conservative clerics, a member of the Iranian Parliament, spokespeople for the Parliament's cultural commission and the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil, and an official with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The listed entity is the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution. The sanctions on Iran now cover 204 people and 34 entities.

The U.K. added seven people to its Iran human rights sanctions regime, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said. OFSI added Yahya Ala'oddini, Jamal Babamoradi, Ahmad Karimi, Ali Asghar Nourouzi and Seyyed Aminollah Emami Tabatabai, all of whom are directors of the board of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cooperative Foundation; Alireza Heydarnia, commander of the IRGC for the Alborz province; and Ahmed Zulqadr, IRGC commander.