Today in Russian Business – Dec 16, 2010

Micex Stock Exchange President Ruben Aganbegyan has told Bloomberg that corruption is ‘a factor in how investors think about us’.   The Moscow Times analyzes the Khodorkovsky verdict’s potential effect on the investment climate in Russia: ‘a political pardon for Khodorkovsky would be helpful from a market point of view’.  Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Klepach has said that Russia’s economy will not achieve the 4% growth rate forecast, but will rise around 3.8% as income growth falters.  Nonetheless the economic recovery and real incomes rising have apparently been the focus of the opening remarks of Vladimir Putin’s television Q+A session.   Expanding the potential buyers list in the upcoming privatization drive, Russia has reportedly invited Turkish banks to take part in the sale of state-owned shares in bank VTB.  The latter apparently hopes to buy a controlling stake in the Bank of Moscow in the first half of 2011.