Weekly news:

INDICATORS

Chief Russian Financial and Macroeconomic Indicators

EVENTS IN THE COMING WEEK

HEADLINE NEWS

Digest of headline news

COVER STORY

2009 to be "very difficult" for Russia – Putin

Russian economy shrinks 7% in Q1, decline to slow in Q2 - Dvorkovich

POLITICS. ECONOMY

Medvedev, CIS leaders discuss ways to overcome global crisis

Duma supports government’s 2009 anti-crisis program

Difficult period for global economy could persist about 3 yrs - Shuvalov

Russian international reserves fall $3 bln in week

Russia had 0.2% inflation for March 31-April 6, 5.6% YTD

Russian GDP posts record 5.4% drop in March - VTB Capital

Russian foreign debt shrinks 6.4% to $453.5 bln in Q1 – CB

Russian trade surplus shrinks to $5.3 billion in Feb

Real effective rate of Russian ruble went down 10.1% in Jan-Mar – CB

Official unemployment near 2.2 mln

OMPANIES & MARKETS

ENERGY & RESOURCES

Putin, Iraqi PM to discuss Russian companies’ participation in energy projects in Iraq

Turkmenistan accuses Gazprom affiliate of creating conditions for gas pipeline accident

GDF Suez begins detailed talks on joining Nord Stream

Lukoil, PKN Orlen not holding talks on purchase of Mazeikiu Nafta

Mamut interested in buying Russneft -source

Gazprom buying Eni out of Gazprom Neft for $4.1 bln

Gazprom may reschedule some work on priority projects, incl Yamal

ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION. NUCLEAR POWER

VTB opens 1.5-bln ruble credit limit for OGK-1 genco

Lukoil to spend $1.2 bln on TGK-8 investment program

METALS & MINERALS

Budget to allocate further 50 bln rubles for uranium mining investment

Russian regulator clears Peter Hambro Mining, Aricom merger

Russia sets zero import duty on copper, zinc scrap

Alrosa agrees terms of raw diamond delivery contracts with 15 cos

Alrosa net profit falls 70% to 3.8 bln rubles in 2008

Alrosa cuts production, sales, profit targets for 2009

Resources agency estimates Sukhoi Log gold license at EUR1 bln

METAL GOODS & ENGINEERING

Boeing, VSMPO titanium JV will open in July – Chemezov

Alenia closes deal to acquire blocking stake in SSJ

GAZ Group plans to unveil new line of GAZelle vehicles in 2010

Volkswagen to start assembling light commercial vehicles in Russia in May IT & TELECOMS

Russian govt agrees to buy shares in Sistema’s Indian operator

Altimo proposes merger of VimpelCom, Kyivstar to Telenor

Shuvalov expects VimpelCom shareholders to reach agreement

Sitronics sets up subsidiary in India

TRANSPORT

Russian Railways forecasts 50 bln rubles net loss in 2009

FOOD & AGRICULTURE. PROCESS INDUSTRIES, FORESTRY & TIMBER

Russia plans to cut meat import quotas, boost domestic production

Efes expects Russian beer market to shrink by 2% in 2009

InBev launches brewery in Angarsk

CHEMICALS & pharmaceuticals

Russian pharmaceutical market grows 25% in 2008 – DSM Group

CONSUMER GOODS. RETAIL

IKEA accused of breaking Russian competition law

Court orders outside management at Svyaznoy

FINANCIAL & BUSINESS SERVICES

Deposit Insurance Agency not ruling out second wave of crisis at year-end

Banks reduce assets by 1.9% to 29.2 trln rubles in Feb – CB

At least 25 banks said interested in VEB bonds

Sberbank’s supervisory board to recommend keeping dividends for 2008 at 2007 level

CIS

Inflation in Ukraine at 1.4% in March, 5.9% in Q1

Belarus’ IMF standard gold and Forex reserves up 29% in Q1

Kyrgyzstan’s trade deficit up 66% in 2008

Georgian int’l currency reserves grow slightly in Q1

Georgian budget surplus totals 2.2% of GDP in 2008

Consumer prices in Moldova fall by 0.8% in March

FORECASTS & MARKETS ANALYSIS

FINANCIAL MARKET

Dollar posts steady gains for week of April 6-10, ruble strengthens against bi-currency basket

GOVERNMENT SECURITIES

Short-term OFZs post gains for week of April 6-10, long issues decline

MIXED TRENDS PREVAIL ON RUSSIAN EUROBONDS MARKET LAST WEEK

STOCKS

RUSSIAN STOCK MARKET CLIMBS TO HIGHEST LEVEL THIS YEAR

RESULTS OF RUSSIAN STOCKS TRADING IN RUSSIAN TRADING SYSTEM

STOCK INDEXES

CORPORATE BONDS

CORPORATE BOND MARKET TO CONSOLIDATE AT CURRENT LEVELS

Nb: This news report features only the headline of each news.

Agency Interfax