Moscow press review for August 11, 2011
MOSCOW. Aug 11 (Interfax) - The following is a digest of Moscow newspapers published on August 11. Interfax does not accept liability for information in these stories.
VEDOMOSTI
Severstal and Evraz Group cannot start producing coal in Tuva before a section of the Trans-Siberian Railroad is expanded for transporting coal. The project would cost 116 billion rubles, but neither Russian Railways nor the state have money for this, as Vedomosti has learned from an Economic Development Ministry official, an employee of a company involved in developing the Ulug-Khemsky field in Tuva, and a Russian Railways spokesperson. It has turned out that, to implement Severstal's and Evraz Group's projects, it is not enough just to double the capacity of a railroad stretch between Kyzyl and Kuragino, which has not yet even been built, but is also necessary to expand the Mezhdurechensk-Taishet section of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. ('Billions For Coal')
Vedomosti has learned how Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin plans to fulfill Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's instruction on ensuring market liquidity. The Finance Ministry deposited 40 billion rubles on August 9, while it usually offers from 10 billion to 20 billion rubles and actually deposits even less. The next portions, which are allocated each Tuesday, will be twice as large: the Finance Ministry will deposit 80 billion rubles at each of the deposit auctions on August 16 and 23, Kudrin told Vedomosti. ('Money Served')
NF Trading affiliated with Dmitry Firtash's chemical holding Ostchem and the Russian mineral fertilizer producer Minudobreniya, which a company belonging to Arkady Rotenberg recently gained control of, have concluded a cooperation agreement under which the Ukrainian trader will be selling Minudobreniya's products, Firtash's press service reported. Rotenberg's press service confirmed this information but declined to explain why NF Trading has been chosen for the purpose. Nor did the press services disclose the terms on which the parties will cooperate. Firtash had suggested earlier that he would like to buy Minudobreniya. Experts believe sales through a sole trader signal that Firtash and Rotenberg are more partners than competitors. ('From Competitors to Partners')
KOMMERSANT
The Russian nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroyexport, the main contractor of the Belene nuclear power plant construction in Bulgaria, may buy old equipment from the National Electricity Company of Bulgaria on condition that Sofia starts the plant construction. The Bulgarian customer has warned it could sue Rosatom for 61 million euro, but Atomstroyexport is claiming that Sofia refused to extend the contract on buying the equipment itself. Nevertheless, the parties started negotiations on the matter on Wednesday. (Page 9, 'Rosatom Prepared to Make Concessions to Bulgaria')
