Charges of illegal entrepreneurship and money laundering against billionaire Mikhail Gutseriyev, ‘widely seen as punishment orchestrated by the siloviki‘, have been dropped due to lack of evidence.  Kaluga officials are welcoming a new Peugeot Citroen/Mitsubishi car assembly plant, believing that it will improve investment conditions in the region.  Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin forecasts that the ruble will strengthen as oil prices rise, but that the rise also raises inflation. RusAl ‘does not recognise‘ hefty tax claims from Guinea’s mines minister.  Ukraine has high hopes for cooperation with ‘natural partner‘ Russia in its aviation industry.  A new nanotechnology plant in the Yaroslavl region will be Russia’s first.