RUSSIA: FREEZING OF YUKOS`S SWISS BANK ACCOUNTS DRIES UP FUNDING FOR REGIONAL PROGRAMS
The Tomsk region is closely following the legal wrangling of lawyers for jailed former Yukos head Khodorkovskii
regarding the freezing of Yukos accounts in Switzerland because social programs in several Siberian regions depend on
funding from Yukos, RFE/RL's Moscow bureau reported on 3 April. In Tomsk Oblast, an on-line education program for
rural teachers and students and programs offering financing and development for local universities and loans for small
businesses have practically all shut down. Yukos was building a 250 million-ruble ($8.8 million) youth center that it
intended to present to the city of Tomsk for its 400th anniversary in September. Construction at the site has reportedly
stopped. Tomsk Polytechnic University Rector Yurii Pakhalkov told RFE/RL's Tomsk correspondent that he is not
counting on increased support from Yukos for his establishment. JAC Copyright (c) 2004. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the
permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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RUSSIA IN FACTS
