Russia 110201 Basic Political Developments

Sberbank May Hire UniCredit’s Alessandro Profumo, Vedomosti Says

http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aQfGxKi3uqk8

By Ilya Khrennikov

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- OAO Sberbank, Russia’s largest lender, may hire Alessandro Profumo, a former chief executive officer at UniCredit SpA, Vedomosti reported, citing unidentified people close to Sberbank directors board.

Profumo, who helped to transform UniCredit from a regional to global bank by way of numerous acquisitions, may become an adviser to Sberbank Chief Executive Officer German Gref, who is considering international expansion, the Moscow-based newspaper said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Ilya Khrennikov in Moscow at [e-mail].

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Amanda Jordan at [e-mail].

Last Updated: January 31, 2011 23:57 EST

Rostelecom May Buy Media Assets for $1.3 Billion, Vedomosti Says

http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aYAJSS68xsPA

By Ilya Khrennikov

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- OAO Rostelecom, Russia’s dominant long-distance phone company, and its regional affiliates may buy media holding OAO National Telecommunications from an ally of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Vedomosti reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Rostelecom may pay $951 million for 72 percent of NTK, as the media company is also known, the Moscow-based newspaper said. State-run Rosetelecom and partners may then offer $374 million for the rest of NTK, Vedomosti said.

NTK is part of National Media Group, which is controlled by Yury Kovalchuk, a former neighbor of Putin’s in St. Petersburg, according to Vedomosti.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ilya Khrennikov at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Brad Cook at [e-mail]

Last Updated: February 1, 2011 00:53 EST

VimpelCom's Purchase of Telekom Srbija Depends on Weather Deal

http://www.bne.eu/dispatch_text14117

Aton
February 1, 2011

Interfax reported yesterday (31 Jan), citing VimpelCom's CEO Alexander Izosimov, that VimpelCom's decision on the Telekom Srbija acquisition depends on the Weather Investments transaction. If VimpelCom goes through with the latter deal, it would not opt for another large M&A deal in the mid term, he said.

Earlier, the Serbian government prolonged the deadline for binding bids for Telekom Srbija to 21 Mar, as reported in Reuters (13 Jan). The 51% stake in Telekom Srbija is expected to be privatised at a minimum price of $1.4bn. According to Interfax, Weather Investments (which is a potential shareholder of VimpelCom Ltd) could also bid for Telekom Srbija.

Bottom line
VimpelCom Ltd's debt will rise if VimpelCom's potential merger with operators Orascom and Wind goes through. Thus, its reluctance to bid for another telecom asset seems logical, in our view.

That said, the company still has a chance to obtain Telecom Srbija, given that a potential shareholder in VimpelCom, Weather Investments, is on the list of candidates for the asset. We think the news overall is neutral for VimpelCom's stock.

Ranbaxy inks cooperation MoU with Russia's Yaroslavl region

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/rbxlf_ranbaxy-inks-cooperation-mou-with-russia-s-yaroslavl-region-1458789.html
Posted on: Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:14:10 EST

New Delhi, Jan 31, 2011 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) --

Drug firm Ranbaxy Laboratories

today said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)

with the government of Yaroslavl region in Russia for

cooperation in the field of healthcare and medical science.

"We are delighted to explore potential opportunities in

Yaroslavl to build and strengthen the local pharmaceutical

industry," Ranbaxy MD Arun Sawhney said in a statement.

As per the MoU, both the parties will cooperate in

development of healthcare system and new medical technologies

in the Yaroslavl region.

This will include expansion of educational programmes for

medical and pharmaceutical community, collaboration in the

field of clinical trials as well as improvement of drug safety

monitoring in medical practice, it added.

As a first step, Ranbaxy will evaluate collaborations

with local academic and research centers in Yaroslavl region

to broaden the scope of medical educational programmes for

professional medical and pharmaceutical community.

It will also look at cooperation in the area of clinical

trials, the company said

The Yaroslavl Region in Russia is establishing a

pharmaceutical zone and encouraging pharmaceutical companies

to set up manufacturing facilities and conduct clinical

research.

Ranbaxy has been present in the Russian pharmaceutical

market for around 20 years. PTI MSS RKL

RAH

Posted: Feb 1st, 2011

Saturn JSC Expands Solar Cell Production in Russia with Further AIXTRON MOCVD System http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=19934.php

(Nanowerk News) AIXTRON SE today announced a new order for a MOCVD reactor from Russian company Saturn Joint Stock Company (Saturn JSC). The order comprises one AIX 2800 G4-R 15x4-inch configuration deposition system including an automated wafer transfer system.

The Krasnodar based company placed the order during the fourth quarter of 2010 and following delivery in the second quarter of 2011, the system will be used to produce Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) solar cell epitaxial materials for the Russian space market. The new reactor will be commissioned by the AIXTRON Europe support team in a dedicated facility alongside the existing AIXTRON reactor at the Saturn JSC production plant in Krasnodar.

Mr. Anatoly Skursky, Director General of Saturn JSC, comments, "Our company has been very satisfied with the excellent performance and ease of use we have enjoyed with our existing AIXTRON system. The service support we have received from the AIXTRON Europe Process Team was of a very high standard, too. As promised, they enabled us to reach full production status in a very short time. Moving up to the 15x4-inch configuration system will give us even better productivity as well as the uniformity, performance and reliability we have come to expect from AIXTRON equipment. We estimate the G4 to be the most suitable state-of-the-art system for the production of solar cells."

Saturn JSC ordered its first AIXTRON MOCVD GaAs system, an AIX 2600G3, 8x4-inch, for the production of solar cells in April 2006. This was the first solar cell production MOCVD system in Russia.

Saturn JSC has been developing and producing solar cells and solar arrays for space applications since 1971. In this period, more than 1,200 spacecrafts were provided with solar arrays. Not only most Russian spacecrafts but also many foreign ones are equipped with solar arrays and storage batteries produced by Saturn JSC.

Source: AIXTRON (press release)