Today in Russian Business – Dec 4, 2009

President Dmitry Medvedev signed no less than nineteen business deals, in the automobile, aviation, banking, and energy sectors, during his trip to Rome.  Steel and mining giant Evraz is seeking measures to deal with ‘staggering debt‘ of $8.5 billion as it struggles with the effects of a shrunken construction market. The Kremlin is to extend its customs import tariffs on steel products in an attempt to protect domestic producers.  Two senior managers at airline KD Avia have been arrested on suspicion of causing the company’s bankruptcy.  Vladimir Putin says Russia’s aircraft industry faces ‘a good future‘.  Banks ignored government efforts to raise lending in October, ‘threatening to choke the commodity-reliant economy’s recovery‘.  Authorities have dropped a tax case against Nestle’s factory in the Samara region.