MOSCOW, March 30 (RAPSI) – A bill amending the concept of force majeure to cover sanctions imposed on Russia has been submitted to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

The bill would amend an article of the Civil Code on force majeure clauses which enables a party to a contract to seek its suspension, lawmaker Yevgeny Fyodorov, one of the authors of the bill, said. 

This measure is aimed at protecting the national economy and balancing the rights of Russian and foreign businesses, according to Fyodorov.

The bill may affect Russian borrowers of foreign loans, he added. 

Russian companies which have borrowed $500 billion in foreign funds may declare force majeure, Fyodorov said. 

He blamed France for its failure to deliver two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia because of sanctions.