Lithuanian Dairy Products Ban to Be Lifted
? Russia is preparing to lift a suspension it imposed on the import of Lithuanian dairy products in October, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.
The head of the Russian consumer protection agency indicated that Russia and Lithuania had resolved their differences in talks.
"As of today, based on the results of the meeting, documents allowing for the delivery of [dairy] products are being drafted, said Anna Popova, the watchdog's acting director.
Russia halted dairy imports from Lithuania on Oct. 7. Lithuania had threatened to refer Moscow to the World Trade Organization over what its president called "trade obstacles." (Reuters)
Russia, Ukraine Agree to Revitalize Trade in 2014
Russia and Ukraine will work to boost trade and economic relations over the next year, the nations' prime ministers said at a bilateral meeting Tuesday.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted that trade with Ukraine has declined over recent years to the point where it has been dominated by Belarus in trade with Russia for the first time in post-Soviet history.
"Therefore, it is important to restore trade and economic cooperation and investment," he said at the meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.
Azarov said Ukraine would strive to restore bilateral trade with Russia to its 2011 levels of about $50 billion.
Trade slumped this year after Moscow made life difficult for Ukrainian exporters in what many saw as an attempt to deter Ukraine from signing a trade agreement with the European Union. (RIA Novosti)
New Uralkali Owners Replace Indicted CEO
Uralkali has replaced its chief executive days after funds linked to two billionaires completed the purchase of almost half the shares of the potash giant.
Uralkali's board of directors announced Monday that it had appointed Dmitry Osipov, a deputy chairman of fertilizer producer Uralchem, to replace Vladislav Baungertner as CEO. Osipov takes up the position effective Tuesday.
Baumgertner is currently under house arrest after being charged with abuse of office following Uralkali's decision to end a pricing cartel. Uralkali has denied impropriety and Baumgertner was re-elected to its board of directors last month.
The change of leadership comes after structures tied to former presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov bought 27 percent of Uralkali from fellow oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Uralchem investors led by billionaire Dmitry Mazepin bought a further 20 percent of the company. (RIA Novosti)
Russia, Kazakhstan Sign Deal on Oil Transit to China
Russia and Kazakhstan signed an intergovernmental agreement on Tuesday to guarantee transit of Russian oil to China.
The agreement was signed in the wake of talks between President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Igor Sechin, the CEO of Russia's state-run oil company Rosneft, said last week that the company plans to deliver 7 million metric tons of oil to China via Kazakhstan annually starting from 2014.
The deal would bring an additional $2.3 to 2.5 billion to the Russian budget annually.
A provisional agreement and oil transit guarantees with Kazakhstan were signed in November. (RIA Novosti)