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Published:  31.01.2005 16:53  FC Information Agency -
Russia's economic growth rate for 2004 was 6.9%, Vice Premier Alexander Zhukov said at the IV session of the Russian economic and financial forum in Switzerland on January 31. According to him, it is one of the highest in the world and a relatively stable one for Russia.

  Published:  31.01.2005 16:38 FC Information Agency -
Most foreign investors who attended the consultative council for foreign investment gave a positive assessment of their work on the Russian market, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said summing up the results of the Davos meeting of executives representing international majors working in Russia.

The bankruptcy of oil company YUKOS is not the beginning of industrial nationalization in Russia, Russian deputy prime minister told the World Economic Forum in Davos last week. "There's no talk of nationalization or a greater government role in the economy," he said. The Russian government would continue its policy of collecting corporate taxes in full, Zhukov noted, confirming plans to tighten tax regulation. He reassured Davos forum participants that Russia was not questioning the results of privatization, despite the sale of Yuganskneftegaz - YUKOS's main production arm, which came under government control. Zhukov said the goal of Russia's administrative reforms were aimed at "minimizing the government's role in the economy." He believes the strengthening of the country's economy would allow Russia to protect itself against sharp fluctuations in oil prices. If the price of oil dropped to $15 per barrel, this would not be a disaster for the Russian economy, Zhukov added. On the welfare reform replacing state privileges with monetary benefits, Zhukov said: "Reforms in the social sphere are just as needed and just as painful as the introduction of free pricing in the early 1990s." He also said Russia might complete talks on joining the WTO in 2005. Most likely, Zhukov noted, this would be done by December 25, when a WTO conference in Hong Kong is scheduled. "Russia sees itself as a democratic society and a country having a competitive market-economy," the deputy prime minister said, adding that "in recent years, Russia has not seen such massive market reforms as today." All those reforms, he stressed, had a single goal of improving quality of life in the country.

RBC, 31.01.2005, Moscow 16:47:20.2005 will indicate Russia's further economic development, head of the Russian branch of the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva told RBC. According to her, investors dealing with Russia are optimistic about its prospects however, they were far more optimistic earlier. The Russian economic growth has slowed, she emphasized. According to her, among other reasons - higher producer price index due to the ruble strengthening. Personal income advanced more rapidly compared to GDP expansion, also contributing to this situation. Meanwhile, the implementation of some reforms also slowed in Russia, Georgieva stressed. She emphasized the importance of Russia's beating forecasts in 2005. The World Bank considers the medium-term strategy for Russia's economic development to be a very good one, although the government has not approved it as yet.

MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - The Standard & Poor's international rating agency raised the Russian economy from the BB+ to the BBB- investment grade. The agency published information to this effect on its official Internet site.
The agency also raised Russia's short-term foreign currency rating from the B to the A-3 level, its long-term national currency rating from BBB- to BBB, and its rating by the national scale from ruAA+ to ruAAA, with the rating forecast remaining stable. The agency points out that Russia is the eleventh state now whose rating was raised by it from speculative to investment grade.
Helena Hessel, the agency's analyst, explained that the decision to revise the rating reflected major improvements in the country's debt level and its stock market liquidity abroad. In her opinion, these improvements are so substantial that they outweigh the serious and growing political risk which continues to be the main restraint on Russia's ratings.
In Helena Hessel's opinion, the fact that the Russian government has become a purely external creditor by the end of 2004 is a major reason for revising the rating in the context of [the country's] lasting political and structural problems. Besides, financial flexibility demonstrated by the government means more than other problems.

28.01.2005 14:09 MSK MosNews - Privatization deals of the past may be declared invalid if "serious damage to the state" was done. Such a point of view was declared on Friday, Jan. 28, by one of the main liberals of President Putin's government, Economy Minister German Gref. Gref also told reporters that no considerable indulgences should be expected from the amendments to the Tax Code which are currently being prepared by the Economy Ministry. The minister said that there will be no such thing as tax amnesty or introduction of a backstop limitation period for privatization deals. Otherwise, said Gref, "half of the Civil Code would have to be re-written as well".  Itar-Tass also reported Gref as saying that the problem of privatization deals is above all “political, and not legal”. "We should not look for crimes in ordinary deals. The deals should be divided into criminal and non-criminal," said the official.

MOSCOW, January 28 (RIA Novosti) - "The gradual slowdown of the economic growth pace we are witnessing now is due to the slowdown of reforms and low level of trust between business and authorities," Russian Economic Development Minister German Gref announced at a meeting in the Federation Council on Friday. When reforms were more intensive, their effect on the economy was greater, he added. The minister spoke in favor of developing civil institutions. He believes they are "of principal importance for creating market mechanisms trusted by citizens." Now "we feel an acute deficit of civil institutions' representation in the activities of the state authorities," he said. The economy can be divided into real and virtual, he pointed out. Real economy takes up only 30%, he believes, while 70% is "how adequately we create business's perception of the economy." "The economy should be shaped so as to have as much business as possible and as much state as necessary plus a little more," Mr. Gref maintained. The state's regulatory function should not be underestimated, but the institution of self-regulation should also be developed, he pointed out. "Practice has shown that self-regulating organizations increase the transparency of the authorities. It is a good anti-corruption mechanism," the minister concluded.

MOSCOW, January 26 (RIA Novosti) - No shocks are in store for the Russian economy in 2005. This is according to analysts who took part in a panel discussion at Moscow's School of Economics Wednesday. They reviewed the national economy's performance last year and assessed its outlook for the year ahead.
One of the panelists, Yevgeni Gavrilenko, said that no severe economic upheavals were likely to befall Russia in 2005, but that the country would have to dramatically improve its investment climate in order to restore the confidence of foreign and domestic investors alike. Economic pundits predict further decrease in Russian exports and faster appreciation of the national currency in 2005. They expect the rate of economic growth to go down one percent year-on-year. GDP and inflation forecasts are somewhat harder for the analysts to make; the pace of GDP growth will depend largely on oil price fluctuations at the world's commodity markets, they say. As for the inflation rate, it is likely to stay somewhere within the 9%-to-15% range this year, says Andrei Belousov, head of Russia's Center of Macroeconomic Studies and Forecasts.
The panelists were divided over the perceived crisis in relations between the country's political leadership and corporate executives. Some argued that the business community's confidence in the government was crucial for economic growth. Others brushed this off as an overstatement, saying that the business-state relationship's actual impact on the economic situation was not all that serious. Belousov, for instance, maintains that only a narrow circle of moguls has been affected by the government's policies while for entrepreneurs of smaller stature, it's business as usual. But there is a conflict between large and medium-sized businesses, as big business has "privatized" many of the country's institutions, including the courts, the analyst said.
According to the panelists, there are lessons to be learned from failures in the first leg of the government's social security reform (this reform basically comes down to the replacement of welfare benefits with cash payments for pensioners, war veterans, and other economically disadvantaged population groups). These failures have highlighted the need for preliminary cost estimations and for coordination of implementation strategies with authorities on the ground.
Yaroslav Kuzmenov, President of Moscow's School of Economics, said he was "terribly pleased we have burned our fingers" while trying to effect the welfare reform. He believes the government must keep that negative experience in mind as it launches education and healthcare reforms. These two sectors remain 50 to 60% underfunded, and transformations here are harder to bring about, noted Kuzmenkov.

20 January 2005 13:32 - Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow
BBC Monitoring Russia has been losing its positions in the post-Soviet area because of incompetent Kremlin spin doctors who tend to choose wrong allies to support. If this trend continues, Russia will find itself in a political predicament and this may affect the pace of its domestic reforms, argues Alla Yazkova, senior research associate at the Institute for International Economic and Political Studies. The following is the text of report headlined "Foreign-policy botch-work. Russia continues to play dangerous games in post-Soviet area" by Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on 18 January; subheadings have been inserted editorially: The new year 2005 promises a series of fresh surprises in the post-Soviet area.

Moldova
The parliamentary election in Moldova is scheduled for March. Moldova's approach to the solution of many foreign-policy problems including the character of its relations with Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia and its decision to either retain its neutrality or step up the policy of Euro-Atlantic integration will depend on the future alignment of political forces.
It is necessary to look for ways to settle the Dniester Region conflict. If the election in Moldova takes place amid the same political sentiments that brought to power the liberal opposition in neighbouring Romania, Chisinau will even more actively insist on the observance of the decisions of the 1999 Istanbul summit, the elimination of Russia's military presence, and the bringing of an international peacekeeping contingent into the conflict zone. Tiraspol will respond to this with the further toughening of its stance. In this case Russia, which has rendered active support for the Dniester Region's separatist regime over the past decade, will face equally difficult problems in the region as the ones it encountered in Abkhazia or even more difficult ones.

Armenia
Hotspots in the former Soviet territory appear more and more often due to the former elites' inability or unwillingness to take into account the growing trends to establish democratic norms in politics and society. In April, the Armenian opposition will celebrate the second anniversary of the adoption of the resolution on holding a referendum of confidence in President Robert Kocharyan in view of the doubtful results of the vote on his candidacy in the 2003 presidential election. The opposition's attempts to implement this decision was suppressed by the security structures in April 2004. All the indications are that the same scenario will be repeated this year also. Armenia is subject to growing international pressure due to the lack of constructive steps to settle the Nagornyy Karabakh problem and liberate the occupied regions of Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, in defiance of obvious logic Russia relies on the Kocharyan regime and renders it substantial support including in the military sphere. It is for this very reason that, according to representatives of the opposition gaining strength, Moscow is dramatically losing its influence and prestige in Armenian society.

Central Asia
Growing negative sentiments in relations with Moscow do not always lie on the surface, but exist both in the policy of the Central Asian leaders and that of Belarusian Old Man Lukashenka. The CIS is becoming increasingly reminiscent of a kind of discussion club, whereas the projects promoted within the framework of this organization are hardly feasible, as attested by attempts to form the Single Economic Area comprising Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

GUUAM
It cannot be ruled out that associations such as GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) can step up their activities based on specific common interests as a counterweight to this structure. In addition, most CIS countries become increasingly oriented towards the outer world and in this situation Moscow's persisting illusions and the lack of strategy based on existing reality cause dangerous mistakes.
More and more often sensitive spots on post-Soviet territory crop up due to the Russian political elite's inability or unwillingness to take into account the growing trends to establish democratic norms in politics and society.

Ukraine
Ukraine - the country where a globally unprecedented campaign to support a pro-Kremlin candidate was waged during the presidential election - proved to be the weakest link in the Kremlin's strategy and tactics last year. In Gleb Pavlovskiy's opinion, Russia "insufficiently participated in Ukrainian affairs;" meanwhile, it can specifically be reproached for its excessively active attempts to preserve the Soviet-type regime it controlled. Nor did it hesitate to fan separatist sentiments in the Russian-speaking southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. However, the Kremlin spin doctors proved unable to professionally cope even with this task and failed to get to the bottom of interclan disagreements or comprehend the distinguishing traits of Ukraine's national mentality, which were vividly demonstrated at the turn of generations. Therefore, the reputable German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine assessed the results of "aggressive intervention" on the part of the Russian "advisers'" as "foreign-policy botch-work."
Abkhazia
Russia's interference in the election process in Abkhazia at all its stages was even more primitive. By getting involved in the purely internal and, in essence, illegitimate election process in the self-proclaimed republic Russia can suffer major losses in the long run, for it placed the interests of its own and foreign clan structures above its national interests. So far, this interference substantially weakened Russia's positions not only in Abkhazia itself, but also in Russia's relations with Tbilisi. If Russia aspires to become a civilized democratic country maintaining normal relations with its neighbours, it will sooner or later have to give up support for separatism including in Abkhazia. The sooner this happens, the better.

International organizations
The experience of Russian policy in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine also exposed the threat of Russia's increasing sliding towards geopolitical opposition and in a number of cases confrontation with the Euro-Atlantic structures (the EU and NATO) and in the long run, also with the United States.
How come Moscow, which worked so hard to strengthen its positions in the West, is wasting everything in confrontation which cannot bring it any dividends anyway? It is, indeed, difficult to imagine a situation where Russia, acting in line with political logic, would consider it worthwhile to simultaneously worsen relations with the EU, OSCE, NATO and in the long run, also with the United States. Apparently, the temperature of Russia's relations with the West dropped to its lowest level since the Cold War during the Ukrainian crisis. Will Russia, left on its own, be able to withstand even "lukewarm confrontation" with the rest of the world? And how can this affect the continuation of the policy of domestic reforms?
Particularly since the post-Soviet states ever more actively choose the European direction for their development, which gives food for thought.

Under-Represented Industries Look To Catch Up

Troika Dialog’s forward equity placement and debt-financing calendar charts Russia’s evolution towards a broader, deeper market. New equity financing, which we define as including strategic purchases, placements and IPOs, is expected to reach $9.7 billion in 2005. Not all of this supply will flow to the secondary market, but much of it may. Total equity financing of $34 billion through 2007 represents 15 percent of Russia’s current market cap of $221 billion.

For 2005, most expected equity placements will come from the faster-growing and more under-represented industries. Remarkably, the largest sector, oil and gas, is not expected to gush equity placements in 2005. The still restructuring utilities are not likely to generate much in this line, either. Instead, in both absolute and relative terms, the telecom sector is set to dominate, with more than $6.1 billion in expected equity deals. The metals sector comes a distant second with $2.0 billion, and banks are expected to make a $1.0 billion-plus debut. The remaining $800 million is to be raised within the manufacturing, consumer and retail, transport and chemicals sectors. Such volumes look modest, but they are quite substantial on a relative basis for these less-liquid parts of the market.

Through 2007, the equity placement picture changes somewhat, with oil and gas, together with electricity, picking up some of the slack. In the next three years, we expect $19.4 billion in oil and gas equity placements. These are the largest absolute volumes, representing more than 16 percent of the sector’s market cap of $124.7 billion. We may also see $800 million in electricity placements, which, however, will constitute only 4 percent of that sector’s market cap of $21 billion. In relative terms, Russia’s fast-growing consumer sector is expected to issue the most through 2007, in excess of $1.6 billion, or 38 percent of its current market cap of $4.3 billion. We expect the metals and telecom sectors to be the second and third most active in equity placements during this time, with a respective 23 and 21 percent of their current market caps.

The debt-issuance picture is similar to that for equity placements through 2007. In absolute terms, the oil and gas sector dominates, with $13.3 billion. On a relative basis, consumer and metals are again at the top of the list. Consumer sector debt issuance of over $1 billion would represent 166 percent of the sector’s current net debt. For metals, the respective figures are $3.9 billion and 152 percent.

A closer look at the future equity and debt activities of each Russian sector yields a number of important conclusions.

Oil and gas: For oil and gas equity placements, Sibneft is the wildcard. While we expect a $14.4 billion strategic transaction in Sibneft by 2007, the fluid nature of Russian oil politics could play havoc with this timetable. On the debt-issuance side, Gazprom is king, even a Sovereign proxy. We expect it to sell more than $9.5 billion in debt through 2007, representing over 70 percent of the sector’s total issuance and a third of all Russian corporate debt placements.

Electricity: Restructuring keeps Russian utilities out of the placement limelight through 2007. Indeed, the federal “genco” auctions in 2006 and 2007, worth upwards of $400 million each, may mark the early stages of equity-placement activity. We expect only $1.9 billion in debt issuance through 2007, mostly by UES. The sector’s total debt issuance represents a bare 9 percent of its market cap, the lowest ratio in Russia. Compared with global utilities, Russia’s are woefully under-leveraged.

Telecom: This is the star equity issuer of 2005. Of the five major deals expected in 2005, the privatization of Svyazinvest is clearly the most important, not only in terms of size ($3.6 billion of the sector’s $6.1 billion in equity placements) but also as a means of reiterating Russia’s political commitment to private ownership and revitalizing the country’s largely dormant fixed line sector. We expect all of Russia’s fixed line super-regional operators and currently traded mobile providers to tap debt markets through 2007, to the tune of almost $3.4 billion.

Metals: Next year will be an important year for Russia’s metals, too. With $2.0 billion in projected equity placements, this sector comes second only to the telecom sector. We anticipate large gold, steel, titanium and aluminum equity placements in 2005. On the fixed income side, the Russian metals sector is gearing up but from an extremely under-geared base.

Manufacturing: Every large Russian manufacturing company (except the largest, AvtoVAZ) is likely to be involved in equity transactions in 2005 to 2006. The sector is also expected to raise $950 million in debt through 2007. While small in absolute terms, this makes up 38 percent of its market cap, the highest ratio among the sectors.

Consumer and retail: In the next three years, at least 14 consumer and retail companies may come to market, more than in any other industry. On a relative basis, consumer and retail is expected to be Russia’s most active sector. Total equity deals of $1.6 billion represent 38 percent of its market cap, and bond placements of over $1 billion equal, to 166 percent of current net debt. Both these percentages are the highest among the sectors.

Banks: In 2005, a privatization and two potential IPOs could begin broadening this sector beyond Sberbank.

Other sectors: In smaller, less liquid sectors, expect to see a few privatizations, placements and IPOs in the next three years. Chemicals, however, are much like utilities, in that consolidation should limit equity and bond issuance until after 2007.

James Fenkner is chief equity strategist and head of research at Troika Dialog. This piece first appeared in the October edition of Troika Dialog’s “Strategy Monthly” report.

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25.01.2005 11:12 MosNews - In 2004 the Russian Tax Ministry has collected 4.506 trillion rubles ($161 billion) for the budget of the Russian Federation and various state extra-budgetary funds. According to the data, provided by the Federal Tax Service, in 2003 the Russian tax authorities collected 3.636 trillion rubles ($130 billion). The growth in the volume of collected taxes amounted to 23.9 percent. Out of the total sum collected, 1.974 trillion rubles ($71 billion) went to the state budget of the Russian Federation. This sum is 17.7 percent higher than in 2003. Territorial budgets received 1.8 trillion rubles ($64 billion) which is 32.4 percent higher than the year before. The state extra-budgetary funds collected 732.33 billion rubles ($26 billion) which was 22 percent more than in 2003.  According to the press statement issued by the Federal Tax Service, state revenues from income taxes grew by 64.5 percent, by 26.1 percent from personal income taxes, and by 21 percent from VAT.

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is getting ready to launch a multi-million lawsuit against Russian business tycoon and owner of Chelsea Football Club Roman Abramovich. The EBRD is set to accuse Ambramovich and his business partners of misappropriation of a loan worth ?9 million ($16.8 million).
FULL STORY...

The deal whereby Russia was to repay its debts to Paris Club creditors has been postponed for an uncertain period of time. Technical consultations being held by Russian officials and the Club’s representatives since autumn have proven unsuccessful, Vremya Novostey reported today.

On Friday, at a special meeting of the Paris Club held to handle “the Russian issue”, Sergey Storchak, the head of the international financial relations, public debt and national financial assets department of the Finance Ministry, stated that the terms discussed at the negotiations did not suit Russia, and proposed to start discussions anew.

At present, the deadline for reaching an agreement is uncertain. Some sources both in Moscow and Paris note that the negotiations will be resumed rather soon – within a few weeks. However, finance officials seem to want some political impetus.

“Judging from the standpoints that Russian and German representatives have assumed, I do not rule out the possibility that personal arrangements between Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder (the German Chancellor) will be required for a successful outcome,” a representative of a Paris Club creditor country said. In his words, it’s the Germans - Russia’s chief debt collectors (Berlin will take up over USD20bn of the aggregate sum of Russia’s debt to Paris Club creditors, which totals USD47bn) - who were tough, and thus frustrated the deal.

Meanwhile, it is namely Germany that is known to have triggered Russia’s resolution to pay its debts off to the Paris Club ahead of schedule. Last June, the German Finance Ministry sold securities, secured by Russia's sovereign debt to Germany, to investors. The securities, issued on terms highly attractive for the market, equaled EUR5bn. Berlin resorted to the transaction on account of serious budget problems, yet, having procured active money, it spoiled relations with the Russian Finance Ministry for one thing, and impaired the market situation for another.

Investors were right to expect that securities with similar parameters would also be profitable to them (loans of Russia’s big corporations could be referred to these). To avoid the risk of such operations recurring, the Russian Finance Ministry started to seriously think over the possibilities of premature debt discharge. First, Russian Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin announced Moscow’s desire to exchange non-market debt to the Paris Club for market instruments – Eurobonds. Ultimately, the terms of the German bond issue adversely affected negotiations between Moscow and the Paris Club. According to the source, all parties involved admitted at the opening of the negotiations that the terms of the transactions had to be “market” terms.

Given that, it is namely German bonds that serve as the only market benchmark. Russian officials have been contending that the terms should be similar to those of the June issue (Germany sold the securities with an approximate 10 percent discount).

Yet, the price for the German securities has changed drastically since the date of the issue. One of the bondholders stated, “If in summer, their price was 100 percent, now it’s 123 percent of the face value.” (The marginal value of securities is calculated in the same way as the nominal value, plus interest accrued throughout the whole of the circulation period). And it is this price that the German officials grounded their calculations on at the negotiations at the Paris Club. In other words, Russia was in no position to expect a discount, and going in the completely opposite direction, it was suggested that Russia should pay a sort of “bonus” to the sum of the debt retired. Naturally enough, the Finance Ministry could not agree to such terms.

Vremya Novostey’s source in a big investment bank points out that Berlin’s standpoint seems to be a cunning one. He explains that the growth in the prices for German securities is accounted for not only by poor floatation conditions, but also by how investors fancied further developments: “The market thought Germany wouldn’t make a second issue, Russia would buy back its debt to the Paris Club, and the German Eurobonds would turn into purely German liabilities, as opposed to securities secured by Russia’s debt payments.” According to all appearances, that is what Russia is counting on. However, the negotiations are being drawn out, and the Germans may not wish to wait for “active money” from Russia for a prolonged period.

Already in October 2004, German Finance Minister Hans Eichel stated that in 2005, Germany proposed to boost the sales of national assets, so as to bring down the budget deficit, which had been above the ceiling of 3 percent of GDP, set by the European Union, for the third year on end. The assets include Russia’s debt to Germany. To put it in other words, the June developments can easily be repeated. In this case, to retrieve all its debt obligations, Russia will have to pay far more than the current USD6bn. Moreover, the source says, Italy is likely to follow Germany’s suit - Russia owes the former USD5.7bn. If achieved, agreements on the principles of Russia’s debt payment to the Paris Club could sensibly improve the chance that the major rating agencies would upgrade Russia’s sovereign rating in the immediate future. This is because such a transaction would reduce the dependence of Russia’s debt repayment on macroeconomic factors like oil prices and world currency fluctuations.

Thereby, our country could maintain creditworthiness even in case the situation on commodity and currency markets worsened drastically. Simultaneously, a number of analysts observe that such a favorable course is only possible, provided that the terms of the arrangements with the creditors are fairly advantageous for Russia. Currently, Russia’s gross debt equals only 25 percent of GDP, whereas in 1999, it made up to 120 percent. It is among the world’s lowest public debt to GDP ratios. Analysts presume that in 2006, the country will manage to cut the debt to GDP ratio to 19 percent, and to 15 to 17 percent by 2008-2009. With rates reaching the above levels, experts believe the possibility of Russia encountering problems attending to its debts insignificant.

In this context, most analysts tend to regard Kudrin’s statement, that the subsidiary earnings from the stabilization fund expected above 500bn rubles are to be primarily used for foreign debt repayment, a positive one. This permits confidence in a soon repayment of Russia’s debt to Paris Club creditors to the total of some RUR20bn (about USD714m). Preliminary forecasts put the volume of Russia’s Stabilization Fund at RUR522.3bn (about USD18.65bn), as of January 1.

Note, that in November, the Russia that had earlier held a rigid position with respect to the Paris Club’s offer to write off 80 percent of Iraqi debt, agreed to the motion, although earlier it insisted on writing off only 50 percent of overall Iraqi debt. Finance Minister Kudrin commented on the decision, and said that consequently Russia was hoping for a similar agreement with regard to its debts from Paris creditors - yet the parties failed to reach an agreement.

MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti) - RIA Novosti presents ten most important economic events of the 2004 period.
1. An auction for the sale of 76.79 percent of all Yuganskneftegaz shares in line with a court verdict on forcing Yukos to repay its tax debts for the 2000-2001 period was held.
2. The dollar plunged against the ruble down to 2000 levels, with the euro's exchange rate against the dollar soaring from 1.26 in late 2003 to 1.35 by late 2004.
3. A stabilization fund was established. The Ministry of Finance predicts that its basic 500-million-ruble levels will be exceeded before the year is out.
4. A bill on replacing benefits with cash compensations was passed. According to its provisions, federal benefit-seekers shall have their benefits in kind replaced with cash payments.
5. Global oil prices hit an all-time high. A barrel of crude oil cost more than $50. Oil-barrel prices in excess of $25 entailed sky-high export duties. Meanwhile Russian gasoline prices jumped by over 30 percent this year.
6. It was decided to reduce unified social tax rates from 35.6 percent down to 26 percent starting next year in line with the national tax reform.
7. The Russian Central Bank's gold-and-forex reserves increased considerably, exceeding the $100-billion mark. As of late 2003, the Central Bank's gold-and-forex reserves stood at $77.8 billion, totalling $119.8 billion December 17, 2004.
8. Fitch, which is the world's second largest rating agency, elevated Russian debt to investment level. Moody's had granted investment-grade ratings to Russia last year.
9. A system for insuring bank deposits was created. As of December 22, 2004, that system involved 379 Russian banks. The clients of any specific bank, which is part and parcel of this system, will get not more than 100,000 rubles back in line with state guarantees, if their bank goes bankrupt.
10. The state auctioned off its remaining LUKOIL stake (7.59 percent) and that of the Magnitogorsk iron and steel plant (17.9 percent) within the framework of the 2004 privatization program.

Legal capital flight from Russia almost quadrupled in 2004 as compared to the previous year and amounted to $7.9 billion. The volume of money that illegally left the country via shadowy business transactions jumped by more than 50 percent, the Russian Central Bank said on Thursday.

FULL STORY...

The International Monetary Fund is worried by the slowdown of the Russian economy and the decrease in investment inflows. This information was given by Tom Dowson, the fund's foreign relations representative, when he was asked to comment on recent statements made by President Putin's economic policy advisor Andrei Illarionov.

Oil is the crux of the power struggle in Chechnya - not just in the pure crude supply form, but in its transportation and export. Chechnya is not only crucial to the world as an oil source, but as a prime location for transferring oil from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea and, from there, to the West. Whoever controls the territory controls this flow of oil and thus makes the money. By staying in Chechnya, Russia is directly influencing this movement of oil and profiting handsomely.
Russia's oil boom started in 1999 and dramatically increased after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks due to instability in the Middle East, and American, European, Japanese and Chinese needs for alternative oil sources. American and British oil companies began investing heavily in Russian companies (for example, the BP acquisition of 50% of the Russian company TNK in 2002, forming TNK-BP).
FULL STORY...

Despite years of building a socialist and communist society, Russians have always had an entrepreneurial streak in them. The present day renaissance of entrepreneurship in Russia began in the 1980s with so-called "Komsomol capitalism" which helped many of today's oligarchs make their first millions...
FULL STORY...

MOSCOW (Dmitry Kosyrev, RIA Novosti political commentator) - Two events have happened almost at the same time in Russia and the EU. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin blocked a law on beer drinking adopted by parliament last year that banned drinking beer from bottles outdoors, and returned it for revision. In Italy, paradoxically the only EU nation where protests began against a recently enforced law that bans smoking in the office, in restaurants and so on, an association was immediately formed to file claims against the authorities and prepare a referendum on reconsidering the law.
Each culture and each civilization has its own specific features. Europeans have a long tradition of legal regulations that dates back to the Middle Ages. Riesling is served in one German town in glasses that have as many pinches (to prevent the glass from sliding out of your greasy hands) as were stipulated by a law adopted at the end of the 16th century. In Russia, with its different societal model, the tradition has been completely different: many spheres of private life lost their immunity from the law only in the short period under Lenin and then in the beginning of the Stalin era.
Every culture reacts to blatant injustices in its own way. Europeans, who traditionally respect the law, go to court and will hopefully find a suitable way for them to defend their rights this time. In Russia, however, the law is tough, but is compensated by the fact you do not have to follow it to the letter, to paraphrase Saltykov-Shchedrin, a writer and imperial administrator of the end of the 19th century. Most often, the law-enforcer, a policeman or an inspector, is the one who takes the final decision as to which legal restrictions are sensible and enforceable, and which are not.
However, such a situation can breed corruption, which the Russian media foresaw when discussing the laws on beer drinking and smoking. Nobody even thought for a single second that these laws would really be implemented. "It is not Europe here," wise Russians say shocked by how Europe (and the US) deals with their smokers, who account for a fair part of their society. The balance between freedoms and restrictions is what every society seeks. Clearly, different societies look at each other for comparison and sometimes borrow freedoms and restrictions, often importing others' mistakes with them.
Many could use Russia's experience. Here is what happened to the law on beer drinking: it was published at a time when the law on replacing benefits-in-kind with benefits-in-cash came into effect. No matter who is to blame, either parliament that passed the bad law or the local administrators who failed to enforce it properly, it is clear that at such an explosive moment it could be dangerous to ban Russians from drinking beer in the street. As for the law on smoking, even though it is less stringent than its European counterparts, it is not taken seriously yet but also represents a political risk.
The Russian press is currently debating the efficacy of the political system that is gradually being formed, as the pro-presidential party quickly and unanimously adopts laws that "its" president has to block. In the past, parliament was accused of debating laws for too long with the opposition, and sometimes even blocking them completely. Now it is the other way round. But Russia will gradually organize its political system, and, besides, its development is a never-ending process for any country.
However, a more interesting point is that Russia has borrowed these restrictions from Europe or the US. It has long been clear to an outsider that the law on smoking, for example, is openly repressive, causes a split in society and violates human rights. Still, our legislators chose to pass their "tobacco" law along with the law on beer drinking based on Western laws, even if they took on a more moderate tone.
Besides, laws and regulations of the kind are sometimesactively promoted through global economic mechanisms. Many airlines, for one, including Aeroflot, had to ban smoking on aircraft in the late 1990s, as they could otherwise be banned from landing, for example, in the US.
That no country, civilization or culture is ideal is obvious, as is the fact that they should learn from each other's mistakes. This is not merely true of beer drinking and smoking. Still, voters in many countries are under the illusion that their experience should be an example for others to follow.
Russian travel agencies today complain that their clients often refuse to go to Europe because of repressive laws, for example, for smokers, rather than the high rate of the euro. They also predict an influx of European tourists to Russia - the country of free people.

Russia is entering the new year as a different country, both in economic and political terms

On January 1, Russians will awaken to a new reality. Changes have been happening gradually over the past year, and it is easier to see them all at year-end. Most of them were not at all expected. Putin’s victory in presidential elections, resignation of Kasyanov’s government, failure of administrative reforms, the banking crisis, the triumph of "state capitalism", weakening of the opposition, rise of radical sentiment, series of terrorist attacks, Russia turning into a unitary state, Moscow’s foreign policy failures and chilly relations with the West… Russians feel as if they were passengers on a plane making a U-turn, just as Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov turned his plane around over the Atlantic in 1999.

Putin’s victory in the March 2004 presidential elections was followed by radical changes in the government. Reshuffles were in the same style as in the winter of 2003. People capable of playing an independent role, were replaced by “project managers' loyal to the Kremlin. It seems bright ideas also left the administration, giving way to corporate interests of the bureaucracy. The result was quick. Though the new government was formed under the banner of administrative reforms, its structure doesn't correspond to the declared principles. Finally, administrative reforms were "beheaded" after their inspirer Dmitry Kozak was appointed presidential envoy to the problematic Southern Federal District.

As a result, much time was spent on government reshuffles and division of powers. There were also foreign policy failures. Moscow's habit of putting all eggs in one basket and betting on relations with ruling governments led to conflicts with Georgia and Ukraine. Moscow's rhetoric on the West increasingly resembles the Cold War times. Again, the country is surrounded by enemies seeking to disintegrate Russia and weaken its position in the world. Such ideas were expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials. Political reforms were in line with Moscow's new thinking. A series of terrorist attacks that shocked Russia and the whole world, was used as an argument for canceling gubernatorial elections and switching over from the federal model to a de-facto unitary state.

There were economic problems, too. Irresponsible statements by financial monitoring officials triggered a banking crisis, leading to higher than planned inflation and economic slowdown. Corporate interests of the bureaucracy came to the foreground, and the government gained control of Yuganskneftegaz, the main production unit of the embattled oil company YUKOS. Perhaps, the government also plans to claim other "tasty morsels". In late December, tax authorities demanded unpaid taxes from two leading telecommunications companies " VimpelCom and MegaFon. Attacks against companies not associated with the scandalous privatizations of the 1990s, angered liberal officials in the administration.

It is unclear who will win " liberals or law enforcement forces. In fact, the fate of Russian economy is at stake: either it becomes a liberal market economy or an economy with government control over key sectors. It seems the final choice in favor of state capitalism has not been made yet. The Audit Chamber has not yet published its report on the result of privatizations, which could shake Russia’s corporate sector. And there are still liberal officials in the government and the presidential administration. So, Russia's "plane" is hovering in a steep turn.

Original text

PARIS (by columnist Angela Charlton for RIA Novosti) - Russia at the dawn of 2005 little resembles the Russia of a year ago. A chasm divides western and Russian opinion on what the country does resemble, and whether 2004 was a disaster or just another bumpy year.
To Europe and the United States, Russia looks chastened and embarrassed after a battery of foreign policy setbacks over the past year, increasingly isolated in its authoritarianism. To Russians and some of their neighbors, Russia looks like a vigorous economy with an iconic president, a pillar of stability in an unpredictable world. The perception gap is only widening.
To Russian officialdom, the biggest political event of the year was Vladimir Putin's re-election in March. Yet to outsiders his re-election was a foregone conclusion and was eclipsed by other events, such as the ex-Soviet Baltic states joining NATO.
The Baltic governments' rejoiced at being welcomed into this western club and severing their last remaining ties to Moscow. Putin and his compatriots were unhappy, yet the president suffered no drop in popularity as a result. Most Russians had long ago resigned to NATO expansion and hold Boris Yeltsin to blame for the phenomenon.
Still, the expansion fed a fear among Russians that blossomed throughout 2004, the fear of a U.S.-led juggernaut advancing on Russia, trying to surround it, isolate and humiliate it, and pounce on its oil wealth. The West and Russia trade accusations of imperialism yet ignore their own imperial tendencies.
Yukos provoked another deep divide. Some western governments worried that the oil company's demise was a terrifying signal to honest businesses in Russia and their investors. Russia's rich started spiriting their money overseas again. Yet the rest of Russia cheered the prosecution of an oligarch whose riches were less than clean. And multinationals like GE inked major deals with Russia despite Mikhail Khodorkovsky's travails. The selloff of Yugansneftegaz, Yukos' main production unit, to state-controlled Rosneft outraged western observers, who called it a brash and unjustified renationalization. In Russia it was viewed as the safe and logical conclusion to the whole affair, even if it was not exactly fair.
The North Caucasus gave Putin little rest in 2004, and briefly rekindled global interest in the Chechnya war. The death of Chechnya's pro-Moscow president Akhmad Kadyrov demonstrated the Kremlin's lack of control over the province despite four years of insistence that the large-scale fighting is over. The horrific school hostage-taking at Beslan and other terrorist attacks gripped the world. Overseas viewers condemned the attackers yet found little sympathy for the Russian troops' plight.
Russia won diplomatic victories at the U.N. following Beslan but lost all chance of western support for the Russian government's policies in Chechnya when Putin introduced his electoral reforms in September. Western commentators and politicians were appalled at his plan to ban elections for governor and independent parliament deputies. Russians, however, largely agreed to Putin's promise of keeping them safe through stronger government.
Tensions with the West have been building for some time, and were fed by Georgia's revolution in 2003. Russia's relations with its southern neighbor continued to sour in 2004 as Georgia's president overtook the pro-Russian leadership of the Adjaria province, and then again when Moscow's involvement in elections in Abkhazia backfired.
This erosion of Russia's power along its periphery didn't stop there. Next came Ukraine, where Putin's blatant support and mountains of Russian campaign advice failed to get Viktor Yanukovych elected. The bungled election turned Ukraine upside down, pushing normally passive Ukrainians into the streets to demand and win a new vote, which Viktor Yushchenko easily won Sunday.
Many Russians agree that Putin's misstepped grossly in Ukraine, yet Ukrainians will hardly abandon their northeastern neighbor. Yushchenko's first trip abroad will be to Moscow, in an acknowledgement of how much damage Russia could do to his fledgling tenure.
The momentum of the end of the Cold War and its residual good will have at last died. The foreign policies of Russia and western countries in 2005 will reflect this. But Russia remains a country of great potential for oil investment, IT development, tourism. Whether 2005 taps these depends largely on Putin. He won a strong new mandate in March elections and endowed himself greater powers through his electoral reforms in the fall, yet his position on the global stage, and even his own backyard, is wobbly.
Russia's 2005 also depends on the outside world: WTO membership, whether Russia stays in the G8, its future role in Iraq. Western leaders must choose how much to punish Russians for their president's actions.