05 December 2003 02:07
Daily Headline News for December 5, 2003
The following is a digest of headline news from December 4 to 11:30 a.m. on December 5: *** An explosion on a
commuter train just outside the southern Russian city of Yessentuki on Friday morning killed at least 32 people,
according to the latest reports. *** The Russian Finance Ministry paid 461.5 billion rubles on government foreign debt
in January-November 2003, according to the ministry's preliminary figures. The ministry has been able to make a
saving on payments due to ruble appreciation against the dollar.
Russia's foreign debt could fall by about $6 billion to $115 billion in 2004, Alexander Zhukov, chairman of the
State Duma's budget committee, said.
The ruble could average at 30 rubles/$1 in 2004, although 31.2 rubles/$1 has been factored into the budget and the
government's monetary policy, Zhukov said. *** The Kyoto Protocol in its present shape limits potential economic
growth in Russia and in the countries already committed to reducing emissions, Presidential Economic Advisor Andrei
Illarionov said. *** Russia's drug control agency on Thursday said it expects a serious increase in the amount of
heroin being smuggled into Russia because of a rich opium crop in Afghanistan. *** Russia's federal budget surplus
was 152.2 billion rubles in January-November 2003, or 1.3% of predicted GDP for the period, according to preliminary
figures, the Finance Ministry told Interfax.
Russia should use the stabilization fund it is setting up from January 1, 2004 to repay foreign debt, Andrei
Illarionov, the president's senior economic advisor, said. *** Russia will need five to seven years to implement
measures essential for lifting visa regulations with the European Union, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said. ***
Russia is planning to develop four export pipeline systems under a draft transport strategy for the period until 2025,
which the government will consider on December 18. *** Russian power monopoly Unified Energy Systems agreed with two
Ukrainian groups - Energy Standard and Interpipe - to buy a third of a holding company that will own 16% to 100% in 10
of Ukraine's 27 regional energy companies, UES CEO Anatoly Chubais said.
He said the coordination of Russia's and Ukraine's energy systems benefits both countries.
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has confirmed Ukraine's interest in foreign investments, but said it is not
prepared to discuss the sale of shares in regional energy companies to UES. *** Little if any progress is being made at
merger negotiations between shareholders of the Yukos and Sibneft oil companies, a source close to major shareholders in
Yukos told Interfax. *** The Gorky Automobile Works (GAZ), which is part of Ruspromavto company, plans to send a first
consignment of 300 Volga cars to Iraq in December, GAZ spokesman Sergei Lugovoi told Interfax. *** The board of
Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, on the basis of a Property Ministry directive, confirmed that it would change tender
documentation for the selection of a management company, which had excluded several potential bidders by listing legal
firm Baker & McKenzie instead of Deloitte & Touche as an acceptable Big Four auditor. *** Russia's chief
health official Gennady Onishchenko gave Humana and Remedia baby food a clean bill of health, allowing sales to resume
in Russia. On November 12, Onishchenko ordered sales suspended after reports of several deaths in foreign countries of
babies who fed soy- based breast-milk substitute Remedia Super Soy-1, manufactured by Humana for Remedia.
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