[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9752-9753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03234]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Foreign Assets Control

31 CFR Part 587


Publication of Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions 
Regulations Web General Licenses 6C, 28B, and 54A

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION: Publication of web general licenses.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control (OFAC) is publishing three general licenses (GLs) issued 
pursuant to the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions 
Regulations: GLs 6C, 28B, and 54A, each of which were previously made 
available on OFAC's website.

DATES: GLs 6C, 28B, and 54A were issued on January 17, 2023. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional relevant dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: OFAC: Assistant Director for 
Licensing, 202-622-2480; Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs, 
202-622-4855; or Assistant Director for Sanctions Compliance & 
Evaluation, 202-622-2490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

    This document and additional information concerning OFAC are 
available on OFAC's website: www.treas.gov/ofac.

Background

    On January 17, 2023, OFAC issued GLs 6C, 28B, and 54A to authorize 
certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful 
Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587. These GLs 
superseded GLs 6B, 28A, and 54, respectively. Each GL was made 
available on OFAC's website (www.treas.gov/ofac) when it was issued. 
The text of these GLs is provided below.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 6C

Transactions Related to Agricultural Commodities, Medicine, Medical 
Devices, Replacement Parts and Components, or Software Updates, the 
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic, or Clinical Trials

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, 
all transactions prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign 
Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587, related to: (1) 
the production, manufacturing, sale, transport, or provision of 
agricultural commodities, agricultural equipment, medicine, medical 
devices, replacement parts and components for medical devices, or 
software updates for medical devices; (2) the prevention, diagnosis, 
or treatment of COVID-19 (including research or clinical studies 
relating to COVID-19); or (3) clinical trials and other medical 
research activities are authorized.
    (b) For the purposes of this general license, agricultural 
commodities, medicine, and medical devices are defined as follows:
    (1) Agricultural commodities. For the purposes of this general 
license, agricultural commodities are products that fall within the 
term ``agricultural commodity'' as defined in section 102 of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602) and are intended for 
use as:
    (i) Food for humans (including raw, processed, and packaged 
foods; live animals; vitamins and minerals; food additives or 
supplements; and bottled drinking water) or animals (including 
animal feeds);
    (ii) Seeds for food crops;
    (iii) Fertilizers or organic fertilizers; or
    (iv) Reproductive materials (such as live animals, fertilized 
eggs, embryos, and semen) for the production of food animals.
    (2) Medicine. For the purposes of this general license, medicine 
is an item that falls within the definition of the term ``drug'' in 
section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
321).
    (3) Medical devices. For the purposes of this general license, a 
medical device is an item that falls within the definition of 
``device'' in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 
Act (21 U.S.C. 321).
    (c) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) The opening or maintaining of a correspondent account or 
payable-through account for or on behalf of any entity subject to 
Directive 2 under Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, Prohibitions Related 
to Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts and Processing of 
Transactions Involving Certain Foreign Financial Institutions;
    (2) Any debit to an account on the books of a U.S. financial 
institution of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the 
National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of 
Finance of the Russian Federation; or
    (3) Transactions prohibited by E.O. 14066, E.O. 14068, or E.O. 
14071, except for transactions prohibited solely by the 
determination of May 8, 2022, made pursuant to section 1(a)(ii) of 
E.O. 14071, ``Prohibitions Related to Certain Accounting, Trust and 
Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services''.
    (d) Effective January 17, 2023, General License No. 6B, dated 
July 14, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this 
General License No. 6C.

    Note: 1 to General License No. 6C: Transactions prohibited by 
E.O. 14066, E.O. 14068, and E.O. 14071 include new investment in the 
Russian Federation and the importation into the United States of 
certain products of Russian Federation origin, such as alcoholic 
beverages and fish, seafood, or preparations thereof.


    Note: 2 to General License No. 6C: Nothing in this general 
license relieves any person from compliance with any other Federal 
laws or requirements of other Federal agencies.


Andrea M. Gacki,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: January 17, 2023.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 28B

Authorizing the Wind Down and Rejection of Certain Transactions 
Involving Public Joint Stock Company Transkapitalbank and Afghanistan

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, 
all transactions that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the 
wind

[[Page 9753]]

down of transactions involving Public Joint Stock Company 
Transkapitalbank (TKB), or any entity in which TKB owns, directly or 
indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest (collectively, ``TKB 
entities''), that are ultimately destined for or originating from 
Afghanistan and prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 are 
authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, March 18, 2023, 
provided that any payment to any TKB entity is made into a blocked 
account in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities 
Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR).

    Note to paragraph (a): The transactions authorized in paragraph 
(a) of this general license include the wind down and closure of 
correspondent accounts operated by U.S. financial institutions on 
behalf of TKB entities, provided any remaining funds or assets in 
the correspondent account to be paid to any TKB entity are placed in 
a blocked account.

    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, 
U.S. persons are authorized to reject, rather than block, all 
transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the processing of 
funds ultimately destined for or originating from Afghanistan 
involving one or more TKB entities as an originating, intermediary 
or beneficiary financial institution and prohibited by E.O. 14024 
through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, March 18, 2023.
    (c) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) Any transactions prohibited by Directive 2 under E.O. 14024, 
Prohibitions Related to Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts 
and Processing of Transactions Involving Certain Foreign Financial 
Institutions;
    (2) Any transactions prohibited by Directive 4 under E.O. 14024, 
Prohibitions Related to Transactions Involving the Central Bank of 
the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian 
Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation; 
or
    (3) Any transactions otherwise prohibited by the RuHSR, 
including involving any person blocked pursuant to the RuHSR other 
than the blocked persons described in paragraph (a) of this general 
license, unless separately authorized.
    (d) Effective January 17, 2023, General License No. 28A, dated 
October 17, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this 
General License No. 28B.

Andrea M. Gacki,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: January 17, 2023.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 54A

Authorizing Certain Transactions Involving VEON Ltd. or VEON Holdings 
B.V. Prohibited by Executive Order 14071

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, 
all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the purchase 
or receipt of any debt or equity securities of VEON Ltd. or VEON 
Holdings B.V. that are prohibited by section 1(a)(i) of Executive 
Order (E.O.) 14071 are authorized, provided that the debt or equity 
securities were issued prior to June 6, 2022.

    Note to paragraph (a): Except as provided in paragraph (b) of 
this general license, all transactions ordinarily incident and 
necessary to facilitating, clearing, and settling of transactions 
authorized by paragraph (a) of this general license that are 
prohibited by section 1(a)(i) of E.O. 14071 are authorized.

    (b) This general license does not authorize any transactions 
otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities 
Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR), including 
transactions involving any person blocked pursuant to the RuHSR, 
unless separately authorized.
    (c) Effective January 17, 2023, General License No. 54, dated 
November 18, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by 
this General License No. 54A.

Andrea M. Gacki,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: January 17, 2023.

Andrea M. Gacki,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
[FR Doc. 2023-03234 Filed 2-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AL-P