MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Russia’s No.2 oil producer ​Lukoil said on ‌Thursday it has agreed to ‌sell its unit, LUKOIL International GmbH, which oversees the company’s foreign assets, ⁠to U.S. ‌private equity firm Carlyle Group.

It also ‍said Lukoil would retain ownership of its assets in ​Kazakhstan.

Lukoil and Russia’s largest ‌oil producer Rosneft were sanctioned by the U.S. last October in what Washington said was ⁠a response to ​slow progress ​in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The move ‍has ⁠forced Lukoil to dispose of its overseas business.

(Reporting ⁠by Vladimir Soldatkin and ‌Olesya Astakhova; Editing by ‌Himani Sarkar)