Integrated Metallurgical Complex of Nizhny Tagil (NTMK JSC), member of Evraz Group, has completed another stage of construction of coke-oven battery No. 5, PR-department of Evraz Group reports. Construction works at the heat-engineering unit are fully completed now: both the gas mains and all the equipment are installed, as well as all the lines. The battery is being run up now – the temperature within the unit will be gradually rising up to 800 degrees centigrade during the next 70 days. At the present stage of the battery construction, it is necessary to dry out and warm up refractory

On May 26, 2006, Ural Treasures Bank CJSC held the annual shareholder meeting. The shareholders approved of the bank’s annual report, agreed on the profit distribution and decided to pass a dividend for 2005, reports the PR Department of the bank.

According to the data provided by Entente Capital Investment Company, the proceeds of UralPotassium JSC have gone down by 1% in the first three months of 2006, their EBIT by 12%, the pre-tax profit by 16%, the net profit by 11%. The prime cost of the company’s sales increased by 4%; all of these figures appear to be predictable as UralPotassium faced a number of problems selling its produce at the beginning of the year. Their important and large clients had a lot of potassium in stock, which let them stop buying potassium and strive for a good bargain on the future supply prices. Yet

The Board of Directors of Elizavetinskiy Pilot Plant JSC decided to hold the general shareholder meeting on June 23, 2006. The points on the agenda include electing the company’s Board, approving of the annual report, the accounting report, and of the report of the inspection committee for 2005. The Board also suggested that the shareholders consider ceasing the production of girt and the accelerant due to economic reasons. According to the company’s report, this is caused by the lack of financial investments, great budget debts, low profitability of production, and, lately, no orders from

Board of Directors of Asha Metallurgical Works JSC suggested that the shareholders pass a dividend for 2005 when they gather at the annual general meeting on June 30, 2006. The other points on the agenda of the meeting include discussion of the company’s financial activity in 2005, electing the Board of Directors, the inspection committee, and the company’s Auditor.

According to the order of head of Federal Atomic Power Agency Sergey Kirienko issued on May 26, 2006 that followed the decree of Chelyabinsk Regional Court issued on May 11, 2006, Vitaliy Sadovnikov resumed his activities in the capacity of General Director of Mayak Production Association on the terms determined by the existing contract, the company’s spokesperson said to UrBC representative. Mr Sadovnikov was dismissed in March 2006 after having been charged with violation of operation and maintenance rules concerning the site and the environmentally hazardous waste (Articles 246 and 247 of

Head of Federal Atomic Power Agency Sergey Kirienko has arrived at Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant and is currently examining the construction site of power generating unit BN-800 in order to discuss the construction procedures with the station management. In 2006, 1 billion RUR is to be allotted to this project from the federal budget and another 200 million – by RosAtom, Federal Atomic Power Agency, of which 685m will be spent on building and assembly jobs, 330m on equipment, 185m on design effort and development works. This year, the company employees are expected to put up the base

Representatives of Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (GD Vsevolod Geihmann, Technical Director Leonid Kazanabev, and Financi al Director Boris Birman) became members of the Supervisory Board of Nova Zinc, a limited liability partnership dealing in mining and processing of lead-zinc ore at Akzhal deposit in Kazakhstan. The corresponding decision was made by the Board of Directors of Nova Trading & Commerce AG (Zug, Switzerland), the sole proprietor of Nova Zinc. During the first meeting of the Supervisory Board, Mr Geihmann was elected Chairman.

Teyskiy subsidiary of Evrazruda, the ore maker, has recently introduced Expograph, the system of automated control of vehicles and fuel consumption. According to the company’s spokesperson, the new system allows them to fully automate the monitoring of the routes, the amount of fuel in the tanks, the haul and speed of the vehicle, the number of stops, of fill-ups and discharges per trip. All the information is registered by the controller installed in the driver’s cab and is analyzed and printed out at the end of a working day. The controller is protected from any unauthorized access, so it

Chelyabinsk forge-and-press works made 74.41% (33 million RUR) less net profit in the first quarter of 2006 against the fourth quarter of 2005. According to the company’s press release, this is due to a seasonal decrease in demand for their goods and to an increase in the energy carrier prices.

Bank24.ru held the annual shareholder meeting on May 26, 2006 in order to assess the bank’s success in 2005. The meting resulted in approving of the company’s annual report, the P & L distribution, and electing the Board of Directors (S. G. Lapshin, B. P. Diakononv, Yu. V. Petrovskiy, A. P. Kalinichenko, and Paul Goncharov, independent director and member of the Supervisory Board as well as the Chairman of Membership and Ethics Committee of Russian Federation Association of Independent Directors, former Director of AIG-Russia Insurance Company and former President of Progress-Garant

Board of Directors of Ural Railroad Machine-Building Works JSC (part of Sinara Group) held a meeting that resulted in re-electing vice-president of Sinara Group Sergey Papin Chairman. The Board also agreed on the company’s strategy and business plan for 2006-2015.

Chelyabinsk Plant of Production Tools CJSC held the annual shareholder meeting; it resulted in approving of the annual report as well as of the annual accounting report, including the profit and loss statement. The shareholders also decided to pass a dividend for 2005 and write off some of their losses using the capital surplus and write off the unconfirmed asset for their criminal investigation losses (the case concerns the bills of exchange bought by the company).

Ural Turbine Works JSC (part of Renova Group) exhibited its products as well as the new equipment upgrading projects at the 10th International Exhibition called Oil and Gas of Uzbekistan (OGU 2006) held in Tashkent in mid-May. Some 120 companies coming from 15 countries (Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, China, France, Germany, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, the Ukraine, the United States, and Uzbekistan) took part in the exhibition, including Gazprom, LUKOIL, Uzbekneftgaz, and Zeromax. Uzbekistan’s compressor plants are equipped with 41 gascompressor units made at the

Yielding to the proprietors’ demand, Hardware and Metallurgical Plant of Nizhnie Sergi purchased interest-bearing certificated non-convertible bearer bonds of 01 series worth 689,621,000 RUR. The state registration number of the bonds is 4-01-04164-K dd. April 14, 2005. The company’s commitment to purchase the bonds was fulfilled by May 25, 2006 to the amount of 689,621,000 RUR.

‘On May 26, 2006, Governor Eduard Rossel received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Russia Kanval Sibal with a group of Indian business community representatives at the Government House. This was the first visit of Mr Sibal to Sverdlovsk Region. The day before, Mr Sibal visited the town of Novouralsk, where a joint venture of Ural Automobiles and Motors and of an Indian firm Tata Motors is built up,’ – Information Policy Department of Sverdlovsk Governor’s Administration reports. ‘Mr Ambassador spoke about Indian national economy. Non-manufacturing businesses make up

Kazsky branch of Evrazruda JSC, the Ore Company and member of Evraz Group, put a new drilling device UBSh-207 into operation. The machine is produced at the Darasunsky Mining Equipment Works of Chita Region. The device is meant to ensure roadway drivage at the level of -230 meters, Evrazruda PR-department reported. ‘Using the device instead of hand punchers allows for mechanization of drilling process, and also for an increase in labour productivity, penetration rate, and for a reduction in production costs. Drilling with hand punchers requires three drift miners operating at the drilling

In the course of the meeting of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Russia Jean Cadet and of a group of fifteen French business community representatives with Governor Eduard Rossel that took place on May 25, 2006, the Ambassador spoke about the events held during the Days of France in Yekaterinburg Week: the fashion show by French clothes designers willing to work in the Urals, the engineers’ forum and the Cooperation in the Field of Industrial Pollution Workshop, reports the Governor’s spokesperson. M. Cadet also gave some details on the procedures

Chelyabinsk Plant of Production Tools CJSC held the annual shareholder meeting; it resulted in approving of the annual report as well as of the annual accounting report, including the profit and loss statement. The shareholders also decided to pass a dividend for 2005 and write off some of their losses using the capital surplus and write off the unconfirmed asset for their criminal investigation losses (the case concerns the bills of exchange bought by the company).

On May 30, head of RosAtom Federal Atomic Power Agency Sergey Kirienko will visit Mayak Production Association of Osersk, Sverdlovsk Region. Mr Kirienko is expected to hold a meeting concerning the company’s production programs and the possibility of going back to the construction of the South Ural nuclear power plant. Besdies, Mr Kirienko should meet the community representatives of Chelyabinsk Region and of Osersk.