Today in Russian Business

If RusAl and Norilsk Nickel merge, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service could demand the creation of a commodity exchange trading in non-ferrous metals.” Vladimir Potanin’s Interros, a key shareholder in Norilsk Nickel, is considering a possible “white knight” bid to merge its metals assets with those of Alisher Usmanov’s Gazmetall, as Norilsk Nickel struggles to fend off a merger with RusAlon unfavorable terms”. Norilsk Nickel also confirmed it has received a merger enquiry from an investment bank. Oleg Mitvol, the environmental official who has aggressively targeted foreign oil companies, is “struggling to hold on to his job” after a dispute with Vladimir Kirillov, head of the Natural Resources Ministry‘s environmental watchdog. A UN-sponsored meeting of 19 Asian and European countries has pledged to prioritize infrastructure projects worth $43 billion to revitalize the ancient Silk Road joining the two continents.