Officials are responsible for about half the registered violations of anti-monopoly laws, deputy head of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service Andrei Tsarikovsky said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Officials are responsible for about half the registered violations of anti-monopoly laws, deputy head of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service Andrei Tsarikovsky said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Tsarikovsky offered a pessimistic view as he highlighted the frequency with which public servants...

As analysts have pointed out, the prompt Russian economic recovery and subsequent oil price escalation caused an increase in M&A activity in 2011. Amid the global financial crisis and the economic downturn in Europe and the United States, the Russian economy is especially attractive for foreign investors. Andrey Ageshin Partner Art De Lex Law Firm As analysts have pointed out, the prompt Russian economic recovery and subsequent oil price escalation caused an increase in M&A activity in 2011....

Officials are responsible for about half of the registered violations of anti-monopoly laws, deputy head of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service Andrei Tsarikovsky said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Tsarikovsky offered a pessimistic view as he highlighted the frequency with which public servants abuse public procurements, provide unreasonable preferences for companies owned by acquaintances and create obstacles for unfriendly companies, saying a new generation of economists and officials...

Outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev wants to force mobile providers to let customers keep their cell-phone numbers while switching providers. Outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev wants to force mobile providers to let customers keep their cell-phone numbers while switching providers, his top economic adviser said. Presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said Medvedev “has given the order to introduce agency regulations … that will obligate cellular companies to maintain the subscriber’s...

Moscow electricity provider Mosenergo, controlled by gas export monopoly Gazprom, said Saturday that its board of directors has recommended a 2011 dividend of 0.03 rubles per share, up from last year's 0.02 ruble payout, for a total payout of 1.2 billion rubles ($39.7 million). (Reuters) The government has extended the contract with Nikolai Tokarev as president of Transneft for the next three years, Vedomosti reported Friday. (Reuters)

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has approved an application from Agrotorg, a subsidiary of X5 Retail Group, to purchase structures in Siberian food store chain Holiday Classic, Interfax reported Friday. Holiday is the largest retail chain in the Siberian region. It manages the Kora, Holiday Classic, Holiday Discounter, Siberiada and Palata stores in the Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Omsk, Altai and Kemerovo regions. X5 Retail Group is Russia's leading retail chain in terms of total sales. As of March 31...

The government's Foreign Investment Commission gave its support Wednesday to the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service's claims against Nordic operator Telenor, Interfax reported. The competition watchdog filed a claim in April asking Telenor to return 234 million VimpelCom Ltd. preferred shares it bought from Weather Investment, saying the Nordic region's largest phone company didn't receive the commission's permission to raise its stake. Telenor says it bought the shares to return its ownership to the...

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has opened a case against the Federal Customs Service "in the defense of competitiveness," concerning allegations that the customs service was not charging import duties on Apple iPads, while it was collecting the tariff from other manufacturers of tablet computers. The customs service was supposedly charging a 5 percent duty to other manufacturers of tablets that had built-in GPS receivers as if their units were navigation devices, while the iPad's GPS...

VILNIUS, Lithuania — Foreign shareholders of a Lithuanian natural gas company have agreed to split the utility into three separate units as part of a European Union directive to unbundle energy monopolies and introduce competition. Gazprom, which owns 37 percent of Lietuvos Dujos, was initially opposed to the idea. But Lithuania's government gave shareholders until the end of May to comply with the EU directive. Germany's E.On owns a 38.9 percent...

Moscow real estate developer 01 Properties announced late Thursday that it was delaying a planned IPO due to unsatisfactory market conditions.  (MT) Mechel said Thursday that its 2011 net profit reached $727.9 million, up 10.8 percent from 2010. (Reuters) Novatek is in talks with the government to receive the right to export gas, which is currently a Gazprom monopoly, Kommersant reported Thursday.  (Reuters) Ingosstrakh shareholders approved a board without minority representation at their...

Transaero will begin regular flights to Rome beginning June 27, the airline's chief executive Olga Pleshkova announced on her Twitter account Saturday, writing, "Received confirmation of schedule from airports in Italy)) 27.06 we start flights to Rome)) waiting for everyone)) flying from Vnukovo." The twice-daily Rome flights will be Transaero's first under a new deal between Russia and Italy that broke rival Aeroflot's long-held monopoly on routes between the two countries. The Federal...

A manager for the Aeroexpress train service faces fraud charges after being caught taking a bribe in exchange for extending a shop's lease at Sheremetyevo Airport, police said. A manager for the Aeroexpress train service faces fraud charges after being caught taking a bribe in exchange for extending a shop's lease at Sheremetyevo Airport, police said. The employee, identified only as the company's top manager for lessee relations, was arrested in a sting operation after the Interior Ministry's...

The head of the Moscow metro escalator service has been fired in the wake of an accident that injured ten last month and repeated reconstruction delays. The head of the Moscow metro escalator service has been fired in the wake of an accident that injured ten last month and repeated reconstruction delays. A metro spokesperson confirmed to Interfax that escalator services head Alexander Ikenkin had been removed from his position, but a source in the metro denied that he was fired from the metro...

American Depositary Receipts of VimpelCom Ltd. closed down 16.27 percent Friday on the New York Stock Exchange as U.S. investors reacted after a Moscow court blocked payouts from its Russian unit in response to a disputed share purchase in the group by Norway's Telenor. American Depositary Receipts of VimpelCom Ltd. closed down 16.27 percent Friday on the New York Stock Exchange as U.S. investors reacted after a Moscow court blocked payouts from its Russian...

President Vladimir Putin is leaving his influence group in power at three agencies, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chose new people for all other places in the government. President Vladimir Putin is leaving his influence group in power at three agencies, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chose new people for all other places in the government. The first appointments to the new government could be held on May 19, a Kremlin official thought, and the rest will be in the...

Gazprom could have to put on ice its plans to develop more Arctic fields in light of a proposal that the Cabinet backed earlier this week to raise taxes on the industry. Gazprom could have to put on ice its plans to develop more Arctic fields in light of a proposal that the Cabinet backed earlier this week to raise taxes on the industry. The higher gas production tax will reduce Gazprom's profits, even given its monopoly on the lucrative export sales, USB...

St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport will meet a milestone next week when it completes the carcass of its new passenger terminal. St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport will meet a milestone next week when it completes the carcass of its new passenger terminal, the airport's operator Northern Capital Gateway announced Wednesday. Russia's third-largest airport is modernizing Pulkovo-1 and building a new passenger terminal connected to it, with the aim of becoming a major connection route for...

The European Commission, which has begun talks with Russia, the EU's biggest natural gas supplier, on cementing energy ties until 2050, said both sides had to work on burying carbon emissions or gas would have only a short future as a fuel. BRUSSELS — The European Commission, which has begun talks with Russia, the EU's biggest natural gas supplier, on cementing energy ties until 2050, said both sides had to work on burying carbon emissions or gas would have...

Gazprom could again increase its investment program for this year, after recently announcing plans to raise investment spending by 8.5 percent to $27 billion. Gazprom could again increase its investment program for this year in the next few months, a senior executive said Wednesday. Gazprom's investment and construction department chief Yaroslav Golko didn't say how much the spending could go up when he made the statement at a news conference. The company increased its plans for investment spending...

Scartel (better known to the consumer under the brand name Yota) is the only Russian company that boasts the frequency LTE (4G), and today one of the most desirable pieces on the telecommunications market. The future of this industry depends on how quickly the company is swooped up and taken under the wing of one of the big three operators. Vladimir Lupenko Partner Financial Consulting Group (FCG) Scartel (better known to the consumer under the brand name Yota) is the only Russian company that...