Paris: France on Friday called on Russian authorities to reverse their decision to place the Russian subsidiaries of several French and European companies under temporary administration.

According to Anadolu Agency, France's Foreign Ministry and Economy Ministry issued a joint statement condemning the "unjustified placement" of these subsidiaries under temporary administration. The French government emphasized its close communication with the affected companies and urged Russian authorities to reconsider their stance.

The decision follows a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, which mandates that the operations of several foreign companies in Russia be managed by the Russian company L.E.V. Management. This measure impacts entities like the French supermarket chain Auchan and the former Russian operations of the French home-improvement group Leroy Merlin, now known as Lemana Pro, as well as several subsidiaries of the French logistics firm FM Logistic.

Other international companies, including the Swiss food giant Nestle, also find their Russian assets affected by this decree. Nestle announced it is reviewing the decision to determine its implications on their operations and workforce, while Auchan has yet to provide a comment.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that the measure targets companies from nations that Russia deems "unfriendly." This action is part of a broader strategy Russia initiated in 2023 to impose temporary administration on foreign companies, a move previously applied to Western entities such as the French food group Danone and the Danish brewery Carlsberg.

The temporary administration mechanism, however, does not equate to a permanent nationalization of the assets.