Today in Russian Business – April 28, 2011

A special panel has been put together to defend Russia’s poor reputation for building poor-quality and notoriously expensive roads in a sector thought to be rife with corruption.  Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Sweden has produced a number of outcomes, including deals for Ericsson in helping Russia develop a $1 billion national emergency hotline, as well as providing support on the development of Skolkovo; and a visa waiver for Swedes traveling to St Petersburg by ferry.  International firm EF English First has been hired by the Kremlin to teach English to 70,000 people in preparation for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.  Rostelecom has announced 2010 profits of $1.47 billion.  Bank of Moscow denies that it was instructed to increase its reserves by $7 billion.  Speaking at a technical school, Medvedev said that a skilled labor force was needed in order to attract capital to Russia.  Is there a ‘Russian brain drain‘?: on why Russia needs a ‘genuine political pluralism‘.  A railway bridge over the Amur river, which will connect the steel mills of north-eastern China to Russia’s iron ore deposits and boost trade, says the FT.