The Directive on the liberalization of the European gas market came into force in August 2000. Its goal is to force EU countries to provide all suppliers with equal access to gas pipelines and to force them to remove restrictions on gas re-export, etc. in export contracts. Previously, Gazprom specified a specific destination for deliveries in most export contracts and prohibited reselling gas to another country.

On Friday, Rostelecom announced the departure of its commercial director Gulnara Khasyanova and the appointment of her former deputy Olga Rumyantseva to the position. Khasyanova told Vedomosti that she was leaving for MTT , where she would be responsible for business development and sales organization. “Everything in life needs to change periodically,” she says.

The pope, who would have turned 85 on May 18, had been seriously ill in recent years. He had Parkinson's disease and arthritis, and his speech was hampered. In February, he was hospitalized twice, first with the flu and then for throat surgery. After the surgery, he was unable to speak or feed himself. Nevertheless, he found the strength to bless the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for Easter Mass on March 27 from the windows of the Apostolic Palace.

Editorial: A Better World According to German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder , "with his extraordinary personality he changed our world." News , 04.04.2005 Russia will begin early repayment of Germany's debt next year Russia will begin early repayment of Germany's debt next year, said German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder .

Russian copyright owners continue their legal offensive against free online libraries. Maxim Moshkov, the owner of one of the most popular free online resources for literature lovers, lost his first case. Moscow's Ostankino Court banned him from posting Eduard Gevorkyan's works on his website and ordered him to pay the writer 3,000 rubles in compensation for moral damages.

Last Friday, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said that Gazprom was ready to buy 11.8% of MOL shares from the Hungarian government. “We are considering this prospect taking into account the possible expansion of our cooperation with MOL, including in the oil sector,” he explained. According to Bloomberg, last Friday, Miller discussed the issue of privatizing this stake with Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. Gazprom did not provide details of the negotiations.

At the end of 2004, a flurry of tax audits fell upon big business. Entrepreneurs appealed to officials with a demand to limit state intervention in the economy, and, in particular, to bring the tax authorities to heel. Otherwise, the business climate in the country is no good, complained the head of RAO UES Anatoly Chubais to Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov at the January council on competitiveness.

In 1990, Vera Kiryunina moved from the weapons Design Bureau of Instrument-Making as a typesetter to the regional newspaper Molodoy Kommunar, where she was offered a higher salary. A few months later, she began working as a journalist, and a few months later, she moved to the advertising department. “I found it interesting to explain to business leaders the need to place advertisements,” Kiryunina recalls.

Video recorders and DVD players have eliminated the fear of missing something interesting on TV. But no one can guarantee that you will receive a recording: someone at home will accidentally mess up the recording settings, the electricity will be cut off during the broadcast - and who knows what can happen! Now the broadcast of some Russian TV channels can be recorded using a virtual video recorder. This service is provided by the website http://rec.corbina.tv.

On Friday, the budget commission headed by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov approved the new forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development for 2000-2008 (see the article on the same page). Officials also revised their estimates for this year. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, the average price of oil will be $39 per barrel of Urals instead of $28, and Russia's GDP will grow by 6.5% (the previous estimate was 5.8%). In 2004, the economy grew by 7.1%, according to Rosstat.

For the formation of the 2006 budget, the forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development can be considered adequate, believes the head of the President's expert department Arkady Dvorkovich. But the experts are not very happy with the choice of areas for cutting expenses.

Last year, TNK-BP began a restructuring, as a result of which more than 600 enterprises will be merged into TNK-BP Holding. First, TNK, SIDANKO and ONAKO will be merged into it. Then, minority shareholders of another 14 largest enterprises of the group will be offered to exchange their shares for a stake in the holding (the exchange ratios are based on the results of the Deloitte assessment). TNK-BP announced the terms of the consolidation on January 14.

OFG analyst Elena Sakhnova believes that Siemens is unlikely to look for new assets in Russia if it fails with Power Machines. Power Machines is the only fully-fledged power engineering business, Sakhnova believes.

Last Thursday, the Altai Regional Council expressed no confidence in Governor Mikhail Evdokimov. This decision was hardly made without the knowledge of the presidential administration, which means that his resignation is a foregone conclusion. The artist, who created the image of a charming village drunkard, unexpectedly won the 2004 elections over the "pillar" governor Surikov.

In all his statements after his flight, Akayev especially emphasized that he considers the new Supreme Council to be the only legitimate organ of power in Kyrgyzstan and intends to negotiate only with its representatives. Last Wednesday, on the air of Russia's Channel One, he announced that he was ready to resign. In turn, Bakiyev blocked Akayev's possible return to Bishkek by declaring that the new authorities were not in a position to guarantee his safety.