Today in Russian Business – Jan 15, 2010

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has told a poultry conference that if the US does not comply with Russian standards, another supplier will be found, though Russia will continue to accept US meat until January 19.  Apparently Sberbank saw a record $7.8 billion in deposits last month.  Consumer confidence in the fourth quarter of 2009 rose to the same level as a year earlier, according to official data, although pre-crisis levels are a long way off.  Casting a shadow over the economic recovery, the president of Alfa Bank has warned that ‘a bubble is surfacing‘ in the economy as stock prices rise but GDP falls.   Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has appointed Alexei Savatyugin to be a deputy finance minister, bringing the total number of Kudrin’s deputies up to 8.  In 2009 car sales in Russia fell 49% from the previous year and sales are apparently expected to remain low in 2010.  Oleg Deripaska’s carmaker GAZ will reportedly focus on the small matter of ‘survival’ in 2010 and will seek a partner to help it regenerate.  Severstal billionaire Alexei Mordashov’s ex-wife is seeking $500 million at the European Court of Human Rights.