Tag: Business

Professional, independent board directors for govt companies have positive impact – Medvedev

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) – Introducing professional and independent directors to the boards of government companies has a positive impact and the authorities continue to work toward this, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a plenary session of the World Economic Forum in Davos called “Development Scenarios for Russia.” “The boards of public companies mostly have professional and independent […]

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Russia’s Medvedev Says Gazprom May Lose Gas-Export Monopoly

Oil, Gas, Energy
File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Ryan Chilcote, Anna Shiryaevskaya & Lyubov Pronina – January 23, 2013) OAO Gazprom (GAZP) may lose its monopoly on natural gas exports to domestic competitors as long as the move doesn’t cut prices and damage Russia’s economic interests, according to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. “It is possible, because there are other, independent gas producers,” Medvedev said […]

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Main risks to Russian economy are internal, not external – Medvedev

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Cash, Calculator, Pen

DAVOS. Jan 23 (Interfax) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev believes Russia’s integration into the world economy, which remains unstable, requires an increase in the competitive power of Russian companies, but the main risks faced by Russia are internal, not external. “The global economy remains unstable. The attempts to come out of the crisis without resolving the accumulated financial and […]

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Russia to Keep State Control of Shelf – Dvorkovich

Arctic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Barents Sea and Polar Environs

MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russia has no plans to allow foreign companies to work independently on the country’s continental shelf but will let them develop offshore deposits there in partnership with Russian state firms, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Tuesday. “As for the admission of foreign companies, no changes are planned, which means foreign companies can […]

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Russian Energy Review in 2012: Consolidating State Control in an Uncertain Market

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy
Oil Well file photo

(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 10, Issue 10 – Jamestown Foundation: jamestown.org – Margarita Assenova – January 18, 2013) Increased state control and consolidation of the oil and gas sector marked Russia’s energy developments in 2012, while the state budget remained heavily dependent on energy revenues. At the same time, Russia’s markets in Europe are shrinking due to the economic crisis […]

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World Bank Praises ‘Doing Business’ Progress

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Empty Boardroom

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – January 18, 2013) Russia is on the right path to radically improve its business environment and move up 100 notches within the next five years in the global rankings of the favorableness of countries’ investment climate, a World Bank official said Thursday. But its eventual position in relation to other countries in […]

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Russian stock market could remain volatile in 2013 – CBR

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Outdoor Electronic Sign with Russian Exchange Data

MOSCOW. Jan 17 (Interfax) – The development of the Russian stock market this year will to a significant degree be determined by the influence of external conditions, and high volatility is likely to continue, according to a review of the financial market in 2012 worked up by the Central Bank of Russia’s research and information department. This year could see […]

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Privatization Destroyed Russia’s Chance for Freedom and Must Be Reversed, Pastukhov Says

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 11, 2013 – http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2013/01/window-on-eurasia-privatization.html) Staunton, January 11 ­ The Russian people “who 20 years ago dreamed about freedom today are choosing slavery” because they were deceived by the elites about privatization and thus no longer “believe anyone,” according to an analysis by Vladimir Pastukhov, a Russian scholar who now works at […]

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It’s a jungle out there

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Moscow Apartment Building

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Kristen Blyth – January 14, 2013) When asked how she became qualified to work as a real estate agent, Emma became defensive. “I don’t want to tell you,” she told The Moscow News. “I’m a realtor now, and that’s all you need to know.” Emma was the broker that Elliott Estebo, an expat English teacher, […]

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An investment wonderland? Reality checks

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Outdoor Electronic Sign with Russian Exchange Data

(www.opendemocracy.net – Pavel Usanov – January 11, 2013) Pavel Usanov is head of the Hayek Institute for Economy and Law in St. Petersburg and Reader at the Higher School of Economics. Since the collapse of the USSR investors have flocked to Russia, tempted by the high rates of return and the Alice in Wonderland atmosphere in Moscow, where everything seems […]

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Serdyukov Faces ‘Suspect’ Status in Fraud Case

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Military
Anatoliy Serdyukov file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 14, 2013) Former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, who at an inquiry Friday into allegedly illicit property sales gave investigators “a few sheets of paper with explanations” then refused further questions, faces being considered a suspect, the Investigative Committee said. “If the former defense minister believes he is free of any guilt with regard to […]

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Unexpected peace turns Norilsk Nickel into milking cow: Year in Review

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Nickel Operation file photo

MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax) – The multi-part drama known as the corporate dispute at Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel (RTS: GMKN) came to a conclusion at the end of 2012 with an unexpected twist. The distribution of forces that had emerged at Norilsk Nickel since the end of 2008 seemed fairly stable and safe. Vladimir Potanin’s Interros and Norilsk Nickel’s […]

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Russia: An Oprichnik Economy

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Empty Boardroom

(www.opendemocracy.net – Andrei Zaostrovtsev – January 9, 2013) Andrei Zaostrovtsev is lecturer at the M-Centre at the European University, St. Petersburg and professor of the Higher School of Economics Owning a business in Russia today is a hazardous affair: each year thousands of companies close after their owners are accused of ‘economic crimes’ and face either prison or protection payments […]

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Russian stock market shows modest results in 2012: Year in Review

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Outdoor Electronic Sign with Russian Exchange Data

MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax) – The Russian stock market gave investors hopes for good profits early on in 2012 but ended up at the rear of global financial flows demonstrating rather modest results. The overall global situation was also certainly far from ideal, but, despite all the European debt troubles, the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. presidential elections and the fiscal […]

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Electricity sector between a rock and a hard place: Year in Review

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy
Electrical Yard file photo

MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax) – Russia’s electricity sector in 2012 became a kind of blanket that was pulled in opposite directions by two opposing forces, which were personified by the government’s former and current tsars of the sector, Igor Sechin and Arkady Dvorkovich. They pulled on two, very large, corners – RusHydro and the combination of Federal Grid Company (FGC) […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia rings in new year with ban on kiosk beer sales

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
New Year's Eve in Red Square with Crowd and Fireworks

(Russia rings in new year with ban on kiosk beer sales – AP – Jim Heintz – January 1, 2013 – Click here for full article) AP covers Russia’s abolition of sidewalk beer vending, as well as a Russian move to reclassify beer as alcohol rather than food: A big question in Russia in this year may be: “How do […]

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Greediness prevents Russian businesses from gaining foothold on foreign markets – diplomat

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Man Placing Stack of Large Bills into Inside Pocket of Suitcoat

MOSCOW. Jan 1 (Interfax) – Greediness often prevents Russian businesses from gaining a foothold on foreign markets, says Alexander Gorban, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s economic cooperation department. “I would like to mention one significant difference between Russian and Western businesses: it is their desire to have a high profit margin,” Gorban said in an interview with Interfax. […]

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YEAR IN REVIEW: Cold war – state and private companies lock horns over Arctic shelf

Arctic, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Polar Map Showing Permafrost Areas, Adapted From NOAA.gov Graphic

MOSCOW. Dec 31 (Interfax) – The standoff between state and private oil companies over access to Russia’s continental shelf over the past year recalled the cold war of the early 1980s. It was also a combination of clashing ideologies and ambitions, coalitions of allies, war on the periphery, scare tactics, a search for compromises and absurdity. As in the cold […]

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Governors should be responsible for quality of business climate in regions – Putin

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Map of Russia

MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) – The heads of Russian regions ought to bear a political responsibility for their territories, President Vladimir Putin said. “Governors in the regions should bear a political responsibility for the quality of the business climate there. It is a test of his [governor’s] management skills,” Putin said at a State Council session on Thursday. “As for […]

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Russian government to monitor business climate quarterly

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Empty Boardroom

MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) – The Russian government will monitor the implementation of roadmaps to improve the country’s business climate every quarter, Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov said Thursday at a government session. Five roadmaps were approved and for three of them, including on customs administration, on connection to energy infrastructure and on administration in the construction sector, the deadlines […]

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OUTLOOK 2013: Confused picture for Russia (Part 1)

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – December 22, 2012 – click here to see original article with charts) Overview The world and Russia both passed through the trough of the global crisis in 2012, say investment banks in Moscow, and the question for 2013 is: if the upswing starts, how fast will it go? Going into […]

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More precision in taxation: Entrepreneurs report higher satisfaction with the tax service, but question the government’s commitment to supporting business

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anastasia Matveyeva, Moskovskiye Novosti – Dec. 17, 2012) Market participants are recognizing that the Federal Tax Service has started to work more efficiently, according to statistics presented at a tax summit at RIA Novosti’s press center. “In 2000, 1,350,000 tax inspections of corporate entities were carried out, and the average level of additional charges was […]

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Anti-western rhetoric stopped international financial center in Russia – Kudrin

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Russia & the West
Alexei Kudrin file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax) – Anti-western rhetoric has stopped the establishment of an International Financial Center (IFC) in Russia, former finance minister and now chairman of the Civil Initiatives Committee, Alexei Kudrin, said. Instead of dialogue between the authorities and the public, legislation is being passed that is hitting protestors. One myth is the assertion that almost all civil activity […]

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Kudrin Slams Russia for ‘Creeping De-Privatization’

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

MOSCOW, December 18 (RIA Novosti) ­ Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin on Tuesday slammed the authorities for allowing “creeping de-privatization” of the economy despite the government’s commitment to sell state-run companies in order to raise their efficiency and lure much-needed foreign investment. “Despite the declared goals of privatization, we are witnessing creeping de-privatization,” Kudrin said at a press conference […]

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Magnitsky Act is not targeted against Russia – Ambassador McFaul

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON. Dec 17 (Interfax) – The Magnitsky Act endorsed by the Congress and signed by U.S. President Barack Obama is not targeted against Russia, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul posted in his blog. He said the act did not stipulate any extraterritorial measures. The act concerns the U.S. sovereignty and ability to bar persons involved in violations of human […]

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No new legal acts needed on privatization procedure – Shuvalov

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Igor Shuvalov file photo

MOSCOW. Dec 14 (Interfax) – All of the procedures for privatizing federal property are enshrined at the presidential and governmental level; the legislative framework is adequate to what should happen with privatization in the coming years, and it does not need to be enhanced, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said. “All procedures are now fixed in federal law, […]

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Putin Targets Transparency of Offshore Companies

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – Dec. 13, 2012) President Vladimir Putin expanded Russian vocabulary Wednesday, as he called for “deoffshorization” of the country’s economy, a measure he said would help repatriate capital channeled to offshore jurisdictions. In his state-of-the-nation address, which covered a wide range of economic issues, Putin pushed for agreements with tax havens that would […]

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Putin Vetoes Proposed Breaks for Medvedev Innovation Hub

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Science, Technology, Engineering
Skolkovo File Photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Scott Rose & Ilya Arkhipov – Dec. 12, 2012) Russian President Vladimir Putin vetoed legislation passed by parliament on changes to the Skolkovo innovation hub, a project championed by Premier Dmitry Medvedev, threatening to widen a rift between the two men. The bill, which proposed delaying mandatory residency requirements for Skolkovo, needs additional work to determine […]

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Russian economy still corrupt but corruption level on decline – Belousov

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
File Photo of Two Persons Shaking Hands and Exchanging Cash

MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax) – Rumors of corruption in Russia are exaggeratory and opponents take advantage of the Russian image of a highly corrupt country, Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov told President Vladimir Putin’s election agents on Sunday. “Corruption rumors are exaggeratory. This does not mean we have no such problem, but I will be honest: the idea of Russia […]

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Shuvalov: Russia’s response to U.S. Magnitsky Act would not affect businessmen

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Igor Shuvalov file photo

NEW YORK. Dec 5 (Interfax) – Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said while visiting the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday that he expected the frictions about the so-called Magnitsky Act should not affect contacts between businessmen. “As you know, Russia is preparing measures in response to the Magnitsky list. This is a political aspect of relations between […]

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NEWSLINK: Corruption scandals dominate Russian headlines; Allegations have involved Russia’s defense and agriculture ministries and even the space program. Some wonder whether the regime is cracking down or fracturing

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Two Persons Shaking Hands and Exchanging Cash

[Corruption scandals dominate Russian headlines; Allegations have involved Russia’s defense and agriculture ministries and even the space program. Some wonder whether the regime is cracking down or fracturing. – Los Angeles Times – Sergei L. Loiko – Dec. 3, 2012 – http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/02/world/la-fg-russia-corruption-20121203] The Los Angeles Times covers recently exposed corruption scandals in Russia: … the news in Russia lately has […]

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Gazprom Tops Russian ‘Dream Job’ List – Poll

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy
Russian Gas Facility file photo

MOSCOW, December 3 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian state-controlled energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft, and state-run savings bank Sberbank top the list of where Russians most want to work, according to a poll published by the VTsIOM pollster on Monday. “Gazprom remains the most attractive employer for Russians. If respondents could choose a job in any large company operating on the […]

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No major successes in improving Russian investment climate yet, says Medvedev

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Outdoor Electronic Sign with Russian Exchange Data

(Interfax – Nov. 29, 2012) No substantial improvement in Russia’s investment climate has yet come about, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said. “Unfortunately, we have had no fundamental successes here,” Medvedev said at a Thursday government meeting at which he presented the preliminary results of a half year of cabinet of ministers activity. “The task consists in the reduction […]

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Better Business Climate Gets New Impetus

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Nikolaus von Twickel – Nov. 29, 2012) Business executives are urgently calling on the government to improve conditions for entrepreneurship, which they say remains massively underdeveloped because of stifling bureaucratic and administrative hurdles. If the country’s leaders do not act soon, they might put themselves in jeopardy, participants in a business conference said Wednesday. “Without […]

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Bringing out the dead: Why Sergei Magnitsky’s story remains relevant for the arts

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights
Memorial Flowers and Photo of Sergei Magnitsky

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova – Nov. 26, 2012) Let’s get one thing out of the way first ­ I am married to one of the actors starring in “One hour and eighteen minutes,” a documentary play about the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. And I am not here to talk to you about the quality of the […]

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PM Medvedev Says Corrections in TNK-BP Deal Possible

Oil, Gas, Energy
Oil Well file photo

MOSCOW, November 29 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said corrections are possible in the recently inked deal on the purchase of Russia’s third largest crude producer TNK-BP. Russia’s largest oil company Rosneft announced in October it had reached agreements to buy 100 percent of TNK-BP from British oil major BP and the AAR consortium of Russian billionaire […]

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NEWSLINK: Rostelecom Is Forever in Debt to the Kremlin

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

(Rostelecom Is Forever in Debt to the Kremlin – Yulia Latynina – Moscow Times – Nov. 28, 2012 – Yulia Latynina hosts a political talk show on Ekho Moskvy radio – http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/rostelecom-is-forever-in-debt-to-the-kremlin/472094.html) Yulia Latynina comments in a Moscow Times op-ed on alleged corruption and repercussions entangling Rostelecom, Marshall Capital and VTB Bank, yet another Russian scandal ending up in the […]

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USRF supporting only business, legal, educational projects in Russia – USRF chief

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Russia

(Interfax – November 27, 2012) The U.S. Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law (USRF), which is a U.S.-registered entity, neither can replace the defunct Russian branch of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) nor has any plans to do so, USRF’s chief executive said on Tuesday. USRF and USAID have completely different missions, Mark Pomar […]

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A moveable riot: The saga of Pussy Riot has one source

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion
File Photo of Pussy Riot Members in Courtroom Enclosure, With Man Showing Papers to One While Female Guard Looks On

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anna Arutunyan – November 26, 2012 – Anna Arutunyan is the politics editor of The Moscow News) I’m going to tell you a story about three pretty girls who defied the patriarchy ­ no, wait, scratch that. This is a story of deceit, betrayal and revolution. No, scratch that, too. Here’s a tale of greed, […]

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No reasons for state to increase ownership of Russian oil sector – Dvorkovich

Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arkady Dvorkovich file photo

MOSCOW. Nov 20 (Interfax) – Deputy Russian Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said he saw no reasons for growth in state ownership of the Russian oil industry. “We see no reasons for the state’s ownership in the oil sector to increase. There’s good competition between companies, companies are working well, with good profitability and substantial investments,” Dvorkovich said at a conference […]

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Rogozin Warns of New Defense Corruption Purge

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitry Rogozin file photo

MOSCOW, November 20 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin warned on Tuesday of a new clean-out of corruption and crooked officials in the country’s arms industry, following a series of high-profile scandals in the sector. “A clean-out is inevitable,” the deputy prime minister, who is in charge of the defense industry, told Kommersant. “The pitcher goes often […]

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Russia’s highest-paid top managers work in state companies – Forbes

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Evgeniya Chaykovskaya – November 19, 2012) Russian state companies have the highest-paid top managers, according to a list published by Forbes magazine. The magazine put VTB’s chairman of the board, Andrei Kostin, on the top spot with earnings of $30 million in 2011, with $194 million spent on payments to all key managers. He is […]

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NEWSLINK: Three cheers for the Magnitsky Act and American values

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Memorial Flowers and Photo of Sergei Magnitsky

(Three cheers for the Magnitsky Act and American values- AEIdeas – www.aei.org – Leon Aron – November 15, 2012 – Leon Aron is Resident Scholar and Director of Russian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute – http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/11/three-cheers-for-the-magnitsky-act-and-american-values/) Leon Aron of the American Enterprise Institute addresses the Magnitsky Act legislation currently before Congress: In the next few days, the House and […]

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Russia Traders Lose to Cows as Winter Hits Moscow Market

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of U.S. Dairy Cows

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Ksenia Galouchko and Michael Patterson – November 15, 2012) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s efforts to give his citizens a better night’s sleep and ease stress for the nation’s farm animals are undermining his push to make Moscow a global financial center. Trading of Micex Index (INDEXCF) stocks has dropped 15 percent in Moscow since Oct. […]

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Putin Misses Business Group’s Forum

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Rachel Nielsen – November 15, 2012) At Wednesday’s congress of a major business lobbying group, the president of the country pulled a no-show, the first deputy prime minister told the group to avoid politics and a State Duma deputy personally fielded business complaints. The congress was the 10th annual gathering for Opora, a nationwide group […]

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Putin dissatisfied with share of SMEs in Russian GDP

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

NOVO-OGARYOVO. Nov 15 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks it necessary to raise the contribution that small and medium businesses make to Russia’s GDP. “The number of our small and medium enterprises is growing, but this level is still far from where it should be, given that in countries with a developed market economy the contribution of small and […]

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Billionaire Businessman Says Putin Sent “From God”

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Desk

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 13, 2012) Gazprom contractor and billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, 60, has said that his childhood friend President Vladimir Putin was sent to Russia “from God.” Rotenberg, a longtime judo sparring partner of Putin’s who has investments in the construction and finance industries, is ranked as Russia’s 94th wealthiest man by Forbes with a personal fortune […]

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McFaul to Focus on Economic Ties

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Michael McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle – November 8, 2012) “I got a little bit of sleep, but I was up pretty early,” U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul said Wednesday afternoon, shortly after his boss, President Barack Obama, declared election victory. Fatigue at first appeared to blunt his characteristic cheerfulness, but as the conversation turned to what Obama’s second term […]

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Russian pundit says Magnitskiy list not to affect Russian-US ties

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Capitol Dome

(Interfax – Moscow, 5 November) Russia will not be able to prevent the adoption of the so called Magnitskiy list either in the USA or in Europe, deputy head of the USA and Canada Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor Kremenyuk said. “The Magnitskiy list will certainly be adopted (in the USA – Interfax) and Europe will also […]

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Jim Beam Didn’t Get Putin Memo as Whiskey Eyes Russians

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Shelf of Alcoholic Beverages with Red and White Tape Across It

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Duane D. Stanford – November 5, 2012) Beam Inc. (BEAM) wants more vodka-imbibing Russians to drink Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark whiskey. Apparently Vladimir Putin didn’t get the memo. In a campaign to help his people live longer, Russia’s president is pushing the biggest crackdown on alcohol since the cold war. That could complicate Beam’s efforts […]

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