Month: March 2009

March 18, 2009

Energy Blast – March 18th, 2009

‘An optimistic assessment of the Nabucco project would be that it is in deep trouble.’  A consortium of Russian companies is to join with Petroleos de Venezuela to create a joint venture to work on oil projects ‘not only in ...
March 18, 2009

Today in Russian Business – March 18th, 2009

Is the government looking to raise import tariffs to lessen the influx of foreign goods?  GE Capital is suffering from bad loans in Russia.  Russia’s 30 largest banks reportedly doubled their collective profit in January by specula...
March 18, 2009

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – March 18th, 2009

TODAY: Duma to consider extending powers to dismiss regional mayors; United Russia loses mayoral race in Murmansk; Russia’s missile contract with Iran; how does arms reduction fit with Russia’s plan to modernize? Khodorkovksy trial dat...
March 17, 2009

Chasing the Rabbit

The primary advantage of the Nabucco pipeline (see map, right, taken from The Economist) has long been considered its bypassing of Russia.  Following the January nightmare when Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine and much of Europe, new in...
March 17, 2009

Pressure on Aeroflot

Reuters reports today on a government plan to remove Valery Okulov from his CEO post at Aeroflot, the company which he previously described as ‘my life‘.  Investors worry that the move will damage the airline’s management, a...
March 17, 2009

Migrants in Russia Targeted During Economic Crisis

VOA reports on the worsening security situation for migrant workers in Russia with the pressures of the global economic crisis. But even before the global crisis hit, an opinion poll by the Russian Public Research Center, last June, found more tha...
March 17, 2009

Photo: Putin Posing as Tourist to Meet Reagan

Yes, that blond guy on the left in the tourist disguise is the future president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, asking mysteriously “pointed” questions to the visiting head of state.  I got this one from Brian Whitmore at Transmission ...
March 17, 2009

No Issue With Kazakhstan Over Currency

When it was reported last week that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev had proposed a new currency for the former Soviet republics, as a measure of protecting the region from the financial crisis, the Moscow Times called the suggestion ‘a...
March 17, 2009

Energy Blast – March 17th, 2009

Why has the Nabucco gas pipeline project been removed from a European Union list of priority projects?  And why did Gazprom receive an invitation to join the project, which was originally conceived of as a means of sidestepping Russia?  ...
March 17, 2009

Today in Russian Business – March 17th, 2009

Shares in VTB Group and Sberbank have climbed following news that the central bank may allow lenders to use subordinated loans as Tier 1 capital.  Moscow is witnessing an exodus of designer boutiques as customers disappear.  Russia’...