Russia 100414 Basic Political Developments

SteelOrbis: Russia to sell three large coal deposits in Ulug-Khem basin

http://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/russia-to-sell-three-large-coal-deposits-in-ulug_khem-basin-525177.htm
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 10:34:43

Russia's federal agency for natural resource use, Rosnedra, plans to sell three large coal deposits, with total coking coal reserves of 1.65 billion mt, in the Ulug-Khem basin in Russia's Tuva Republic, Russian newspaper Kommersant has reported, adding that the Russian government wants to create the country's largest coal mining complex in the area, to be operated by several private companies.

In this connection, on Friday, April 9 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that his government is preparing a tender for the development of the coal deposits in Tuva, which will be attended by many large companies. According to Kommersant, the tender will include the western, central and eastern deposits with total reserves of about 1.65 billion mt of coking coal of Zh grade. This volume is comparable to the country's largest coal deposit, the Elga deposit, owned by Russian mining and steel group Mechel, with reserves totaling two billion mt.

The development of the coal deposits in the region is dependent on the construction of a 418 km railway between Kyzyl and Kuragino, carried out on a government-private sector partnership base, and which is planned to be finished in 2014. According to Mr. Putin, the common use infrastructure development at the Ulug-Khem basin will be carried out by the companies which receive licenses, which will unite into a consortium.

The coal reserves of the Ulug-Khem basin, among the largest in Russia, amount to about 20 billion mt, including 13.7 billion mt of coking coal.

The Russian steelmaker Severstal is likely to participate in the tender for one of the deposits. On Friday, Severstal CEO Alexei Mordashov presented his company's concept of the development of the Ulug-Khem basin at an exhibition for innovative projects held in Russia's Novosibirsk city, which was attended by Mr. Putin.

In addition, according to market players, interested parties in the Ulug-Khem basin may also include Russian steelmakers Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), which does not have its own coal reserves, and Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), which currently obtains around half the coal it needs from its own supplies. Meanwhile, due to its proximity to China, the project will be also interesting for exporters, such as Russian coal mining company Kuzbassrazrezugol and Mechel.

Money Times: Russians urge inquiry in Daimler case

http://www.themoneytimes.com/20100414/russians-urge-inquiry-daimler-case-id-10108077.html
April 14, 2010

Moscow -- A shareholder activist in Russia said 1,000 letters had been sent to Russian authorities urging them to open an investigation into the Daimler bribery case.

German automaker Daimler admitted to making $6.8 million in "improper payments," in Russia from 2000 to 2005 in a case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, The Moscow Times reported Tuesday.

Although Russian newspapers have pounced on the controversy, Russian authorities have not announced any investigations to determine which officials took bribes.

The case in the United States did not name names, but said $4 million had been paid to officials in the Interior Ministry, the Federal Guard Services Special Purpose Garage, the Russian military and officials of four Russian cities.

Activist shareholder Alexei Navalny said, "perhaps our prosecutors don't read the newspapers." He also said an online campaign to encourage an investigation had resulted in 1,000 letters sent to Russian authorities.

"Right now they surely have the information. The only excuse they have left that it is taking another couple of days to give it to the Investigative Committee," Navalny said.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Capital McDonald's defended the rent of 1 ruble - Vedomosti

http://www.rian.ru/economy/20100414/222112154.html

GOOGLE TRANSLATION


14/04/2010 10:12
MOSCOW, April 14 - RIA Novosti. Federal Arbitration Court of Moscow District (FASMO) overturned two lower court decisions in suits Property Department of Moscow (DIGM) to the ZAO Moscow McDonald's, on increased rental rates for the restaurant and the office of the company to the level of the minimum rental rate of urban property in the 1 thousand rubles square meter per year, wrote in a Wednesday newspaper Vedomosti.
The contract between the city and by McDonald's to lease two buildings in the center of Moscow was signed early in 1990 up to December 24, 2041. For him, the rent for the area network in the Arbat, house 52, building 1, and the Big Nikolopeskovsky Lane, Building 15, was to be 1 ruble per square meter per year.
On the Arbat "McDonald's takes off from the capital of 1,577 thousand square meters, which is one of his first restaurant, and in the Big Nikolopeskovsky lane rents 859.2 square meters, which trains staff.
Earlier, in Moscow there were precedents for urban spaces were rented to tenants at a rate of one ruble per square meter per year, but until 2009 the rate is so low is preserved only in respect of two premises McDonald's in downtown.
In this regard, the summer of 2009 authorities in Moscow filed a second lawsuit in a chain of restaurants (the first claim was not satisfied by the court), demanding to set a fee that would comply with the minimum rent rate in the city. As a rule, it can expect a small business, wholesalers, implement horticultural products, GUPy working on the state order, the company the consumer market and services, educational organizations and a number of other companies.
In 2009, the minimum rental rate equal to 1 thousand rubles per square meter per year, and in 2010 rose to 1.2 thousand rubles per square meter per year.
In late 2009 the Moscow Arbitration Court allowed the claim of the city authorities, however, McDonald's filed an appeal, which indicated that the condition of the appointment of rents of one ruble investments were a chain of restaurants in the premises, and the company are met.
It clarifies the issue, representatives DIGMa and McDonald's confirmed that they know about the regulations FASMO.
"The Moscow government will contest them", - emphasized in the material with reference to the press secretary of the Department of capital assets Natalya Bykova.
In this case, explains the newspaper, its decision FASMO motivated by the fact that high inflation and the emergence of a new law in Moscow, that the minimum rent, do not give grounds for amending the treaty, as DIGM was assumed that during the contract rents may increase.