... doubt whether such piecemeal provisions will prove enough. Numerous foreign investors have reported harassment by state bodies and seizure of assets by business interests close to the ruling elite. Economic growth driven by high prices for the country's commodity exports has been healthy, reaching more than 8 percent in 2011, but galloping inflation has canceled out the benefits for most households. Selling the country's natural gas to buyers like China has generated valuable income but also reportedly...

... transition has also created an unstable backdrop and has shoved the pendulum toward the high risk end of the scale. Political questions only compound the fact that Russia does not have a strong enough domestic economic foundation to compensate for the commodities-export risk. Twelve years of living off rising commodity export revenues with not enough industrial and economic reform progress means that the risk premium used in valuation models is very high end, even as, in fact, the country's fiscal...

... Meanwhile, the effect of reducing the rates of duty may not be negative for all branches of the Russian economy. In the Customs Union's current Harmonized Customs Tariff, the rates of import duty are no higher than 5 percent for more than 40 percent of commodity classifications codes, which when there are currency fluctuations of the nature witnessed in 2011 can scarcely be regarded as a protective barrier against imports. Nevertheless, Russia's obligations to WTO members also provide for a reduction...

...," the source said, adding that it may be closed in June. The deal, if consummated, would extend the logistical reach of Summa, an acquisitive group owned by Ziyavudin Magomedov that actively trades oil and is looking to branch into agricultural commodities. FESCO's asset portfolio includes a seaport in Vladivostok and a shipping fleet, railroad company Russian Troika and 21 percent of state-controlled rail group Transcontainer. The deal follows a slump in FESCO's earnings last year to $19 million...

... Since the tsunami cast a shadow on Japan's nuclear-power future, the island country has increased its purchases of liquefied Russian gas originating at the Gazprom-controlled Sakhalin offshore fields. Pipeline gas is generally cheaper than the liquefied commodity that Japan receives by tankers. But pipelines deprive the supplier of flexibility and typically require elaborate long-term contracts. Maehara, a member of the parliament's committee on fundamental national policies, discussed the pipeline option...

... decline in oil revenues over the coming years, Citibank said Wednesday. Despite the efforts of bureaucrats and politicians, the country's stock exchanges, the valuations of its major companies, its budget and its currency still move closely in line with commodity prices. And the government will be "constrained from all sides" in tackling this dependency by delicate issues including pension reform, military expenditure and the implementation of President Putin's pre-election spending promises...

...," Shamolin added. UGC is issuing additional shares to sell a stake of 50 percent minus one share in the company, allowing the government to retain majority control. Several parties have expressed an interest, including U.S. firm Bunge, Louis Dreyfus Commodities and Russian investment group Summa. Sistema recently set up an agricultural joint venture with members of the Louis Dreyfus family — which owns one of the world's four dominant agribusiness companies — with the aim to expand in...

... statement. The company said it has no outstanding debt obligations this year. In addition to the dispute over Norilsk, Vekselberg, who resigned as chairman in March, is challenging a large aluminum supply deal with a third RusAl shareholder — commodities-trading giant Glencore. In March, RusAl appointed Barry Cheung, an independent director of the company and head of the Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange, to replace Vekselberg. Analysts have questioned how much influence he can exert over Deripaska...

... will allow us to produce energy without causing any harm to the environment. Once our region makes a full transition to hydropower, we’ll make a positive impact on the world’s ecology. We’ll even be able to sell our cheap energy as a commodity. Q: Why should an investor set up a business here? A: Businesses are really dependent on energy prices. Soon we expect to revolutionize energy costs and offer business owners the lowest market price for electricity in the world. — Julia...