Today in Russian Business – October 5, 2009

Corporate truce: Norway’s Telenor and Russian partner Alfa have settled their long-standing legal wranglings and decided to pool their Russian and Ukrainian assets into a New-York listed mobile operator.  The Moscow Times reports that Prime Minister Putin has asked Renault to throw a financial bone to struggling partner AvtoVAZ, ‘or we will have to discuss our relative stakes’.  Russia may borrow between $2 and $4 million in 2010 from the World Bank.  Retail giant X5 is looking to buy local supermarket chain Paterson.  Nokia will not be fined for violating Russian competition laws; it remain unsure if the same can be said for Ikea.  Rumors that Opel may move its van production from England to Russia have English workers in an uproar; Magna has denied the reports.  Digital Sky Technologies is buying more shares in Facebook.  Alexander Lebedev’s Evening Standard is to be given away free to increase its readership, a move described as ‘a gamble‘ by industry experts.  The head of the WTO explains to the New York Times why Russia’s interest in joining the organization is dwindling.