UrBC, Moscow, April 20, 2012. Over thirty representatives of the Russian Government, big businesses, and NGOs held the first meeting of the coordination committee on promoting Yekaterinburg’s application for EXPO 2020 in Moscow. The meeting was chaired by Russia’s acting Industry & Trade Minister Denis Manturov. This in camera meeting was spent discussing the main stages of the process and the part the country’s key ministers could play in promoting the application. It was reported that in case Yekaterinburg’s application wins the future EXPO village would cover the area of more than 550

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, April 20, 2012. Koltsovo International Airport offered its services to 720,410 passengers in the first quarter of 2012, which was 23.6% more than in the first quarter of 2011. The number of international flyers went up by 31.7% and came to 237,200 people; that of domestic passengers rose by 12.8% (400,650 people), and that of passengers flying to CIS member states increased by 73.7% (82,560 people). The number of sorties went up by 12.2% against January-March 2011 and reached 4,670. The airport’s press service reports the number of passengers flying to Sharm El Sheikh,

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, April 20, 2012. Nezavisimost Group of Companies announced its dealer’s portfolio in Yekaterinburg had grown wider as the company signed an agreement with Peugeot Citroen Rus. The company is to start selling the automobiles produced under the brand at its sales center at 65 Metallurgov St very soon. The new center Nezavisimost Peugeot will offer customers the entire Peugeot product line (available in stock and to order) as well as maintenance services, including mechanical and body repairs. The company is currently furnishing the car mechanic’s area and training the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, April 20, 2012. First Deputy Mayor of Yekaterinburg Sergey Shvindt took part in a meeting dedicated to the FIFA delegation and the World Cup 2018 Russian coordination committee representatives’ visit to Yekaterinburg on May 14. The inspecting parties will take a look at the number of buildings and facilities that are crucial to hosting the championship as well as see a presentation on what the Urals’ capital will look like by 2018. As the event’s most important facility, Central Stadium, currently belongs to Sinara Group, the company will be directly involved in both

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, April 20, 2012. The public prosecution authorities of Yekaterinburg Zheleznodorozhny District looked into the data regarding a fire in Tagansky Ryad market in April 2012. The investigation revealed that the said shopping area belongs to ZAO Tagansky Ryad. The company still has not eliminated the violations of the fire safety regulations which Yekaterinburg Zheleznodorozhny District Surveillance Department of Sverdlovsk Region division of Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies detected in 2010. For one, the doors leading to stairways are not fully fitted with self-shutting

The owner of Metalloinvest Holding Alisher Usmanov was declared Russia’s richest man in 2012 in Forbes magazine’s Top 200 list. His fortune was estimated at $18.1bn. The proprietor of NLMK Vladimir Lisin, who topped the rating for the last two years, came second this time with his $15.9bn. He was followed by Severstal’s Alexei Mordashov, who is worth $15.3bn, Interfax reports. The other people in the Top 10 list are Vladimir Potanin (Norilsk Nickel, $14.bn), Vagit Alekperov (LUKoil, $13.5bn), Mikhail Fridman (Alfa-Group, $13.4bn), Mikhail Prokhorov (Onexim, $13.2bn), Viktor Vekselberg

First Freight Company’s Irkutsk subsidiary increased its claim against Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation to 4.6m RUR. The claim has to do with a train crash. The sum initially came to 3.79m RUR, which was the compensation for the damage done to the plaintiff (deterioration of railway carriages caused by the crash). Uralvagonzavod disagrees with the claim, while third parties to the case such as the Russian Railways, Second Freight Company, ZHASO Insurance Company, and SOGAZ supported the plaintiff’s claim. Sverdlovsk Region Arbitration Court’s hearing of the case is

Head of Yekaterinburg Administration Alexander Yakob met the Minister and Counselor to the Australian Embassy in Russia Dan Tibbatt. Alexander Yakov told his guest about Yekaterinburg’s socioeconomic development and about the large-scale events that the city is expected to host in the next few years. The counselor explained he was aware of the city’s plans to host the World Cup 2018 and the international exhibition EXPO 2020; he spoke about a number of Australian companies that have a lot of experience in organizing grand sports and cultural events. Yakob and Tibbatt also announced they

Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Alexander Misharin is going to take part in the Golden Bridge 2012 award ceremony meant for organizations and people such as politicians, cultural experts, and entrepreneurs who make a special contribution to the improvement of Russo-Italian relations. The Governor is expected to receive the Golden Bridge figurine from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Russia Antonio Zanardi Landi at the Italian Embassy in Russia. The decision to give the award to Misharin was taken personally by Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano. The Governor was

Governor Alexander Misharin presented Sverdlovsk Region’s key economic development projects with a great Russian-U.S. cooperation potential at the meeting organized to demonstrate the region’s economic and investment opportunities to member companies of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. The event took place at the Swissotel Krasnye Holmy Hotel in Moscow on April 18, 2012. The U.S. has for a long time been Sverdlovsk Region’s foreign economic partner. The two parties’ annual trade turnover comes to $1.6bn. President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia Andrew Somers said he

The stockholders of Yekaterinburg Non-Ferrous Metals Plant rejected the idea of increasing the company’s authorized capital in the course of an extraordinary meeting. The original decision to increase the capital through an additional share issue was made on October 20, 2011.

In 2011, Uralkhimmash incurred 129.11m RUR worth of net losses (calculated in accordance with the Russian Accounting Standards), which was 3.9 times more than in 2010, the enterprise’s report states. The company’s revenues for 2011 increased by 36% and came to 4.37bn RUR. The company’s BOD set the date for the annual general meeting on May 31, 2012.

Integra Group of Companies came up with a consolidated financial report (drawn up in accordance with the IAS) for 2011. ‘Our increased investments in the oil development segment resulted in increased demand for well-boring services throughout the year 2011. This year, our energy and fuel spending kept rising; so did the consolidated social tax payments and (to a certain extent) prices; therefore the company’s corrected EBITDA figures were lower than a year earlier. Integra Group of Companies made some net profit from its ongoing activity,’ the company reports. The company’s main financial

On April 19, the premises of the Industry & Trade Ministry in Moscow will host the first meeting of the coordination committee set up to promote Yekaterinburg’s application campaign for EXPO 2020. This meeting will become the first one dedicated to EXPO 2020 that several scores of federal agencies, state-run corporations, and large businesses representatives will attend. The agenda of the meeting covers a whole range of questions, including the main stages of the application campaign and looking at the preliminary results of the steps already taken. Most importantly, the attendees will

Concern Kalina’s BOD decided to let the current Director-General Alexei Minakov resign before the end of his term. Laurent Jacques Marseille Kleitman has been appointed the company’s new DG, the concern reports. Minakov assumed office on December 6, 2011. ‘Terminate A.A. Minakov’s authority as the Company’s Director-General before the end of the term at 11.59 PM on April 17, 2012 and pay him the salary that is his due as well as the prescribed compensation for the breakup of a labor contract and the compensation for the vacation he did not have time to take,’ the company decrees. Now 98.4% of

Baltika Breweries decided to pass the dividend for the year 2011. This decision was taken at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.

Senate Business Center was unable to make the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Seychelles in Yekaterinburg pay the money the latter owes the center as rent. The 17th Arbitration & Appeals Court rejected the corresponding claim laid against the consulate by OOO Inkos. Now OOO Inkos and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Seychelles in Yekaterinburg Igor Vozhagov signed an agreement for the rent of non-residential premises located in the mezzanine floor of Senate Business Center (total area 62.4 sq m) in January 2010. Under the transfer and acceptance act, the said rooms were used

Koltsovo Airport increased its claim against the insolvent Czech Connect Airlines from $66,400 to $68,810. The preliminary court hearing for the case has been put off till April 26, 2012. The claim is now being considered by Sverdlovsk Region Arbitration Court. The airport wants to get the debt resulting from the nonpayment for the air navigation, airport, and ground services rendered to the defendant. Czech Connect Airlines a.s. announced itself bankrupt in Ostrava Territorial Court on January 18, 2012.

Unilever RUS’s stake in Concern Kalina went up from 84.98% to 98.94%, the company reports. Unilever bought a 82% shareholding in Yekaterinburg-based company for about 17.4bn RUR earlier. After a while, Unilever RUS announced it was also going to purchase 15.02% more shares in Concern Kalina.

Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation’s long-term debt rose from 11.8bn RUR at the end of 2010 to 15.4bn RUR in 2011. The enterprise’s report states that this sum is made up of 9.4bn RUR worth of bank loans and 6bn RUR worth of a bond issue.