The government still plans to privatize 5% of the shares of Russian Railways by the end of 2014, and another 20% by the end of 2016. This information is contained in the plan of activities of the Ministry of Economic Development until 2018. The head of the Federal Property Management Agency, Olga Dergunova, confirmed that these intentions remain in force, however, the published plan, according to her, is not final.

During the morning session on Monday, the Tokyo Stock Exchange experienced a collapse in quotes due to the rise in the yen. By the end of the session at 11:30 (6:30 Moscow time), the Nikkei Stock Average 225 index fell by 3.21% (455.11 points) to 14,157.34 points against the backdrop of the rise in the yen. Last Friday, the index fell by 1.77%. TOPIX, which reflects the stock prices of all companies in the elite first section of the exchange, fell by 2.59% to 1,161.26 points.

The rouble slightly appreciated on Monday morning, with the focus of markets on the payment of large taxes on May 27-28, due to which the Russian currency may receive support from sales of export earnings with settlements "tomorrow". With settlements "today" on the US dollar, exchange transactions are not carried out on Monday due to the holiday in the US; this same factor, together with the UK markets being closed on Monday, will limit the dynamics of rouble quotes during the trading session.

Maxim Katz, a deputy of the municipal council of the capital's Shchukino district, announced that he is leaving the Opposition Coordination Council (OCC) and believes that the OCC should be completely dissolved. He wrote in his blog on LiveJournal that the work of the council was disrupted by the confrontation between the groups that comprise it.

June 3–4 Forum "Smart City of the Future" Key topics include discussion of models of sustainable development of cities and regions, innovative technologies for city management in the field of urban development.

German brewers have warned the government that allowing shale gas extraction in Germany could damage the purity and quality of German beer. Angela Merkel's government is currently developing a regulatory framework that will determine the procedure for using hydraulic fracturing technology in the country. Among other things, it will provide for mandatory research into its impact on the environment and a ban on work in so-called water protection zones.

S. Porter / Vedomosti What's in Transstroy's portfolio Austrian Strabag overestimated the Russian market, admitted its CEO Hans Peter Haselsteiner. And the company never acquired a stake in Oleg Deripaska's Transstroy, although it paid an advance for it back in 2010. Transstroy's contracts include the construction of the Zenit stadium in St. Petersburg, a port in Imeretinskaya Bay and a bypass of Kurortny Prospekt in Sochi, and transport infrastructure at Vnukovo.

Mark Mobius, managing director of Templeton Emerging Markets Group / REUTERS / Cynthia Karam This is largely due to the importance Templeton attaches to the quality of corporate governance and the treatment of minority shareholders. Russia has failed to achieve success in these areas over the past four years.

As many expected, Vladimir Putin did not give businesses gifts for Entrepreneurship Day (celebrated yesterday). At a meeting with the business community on May 23, the president declared the amnesty project for those convicted under economic articles to be raw, and in general did not promise businesses anything concrete. The meeting showed that the president is not inclined to trust entrepreneurs. This is evident from the transcript.

Canada's largest pharmaceutical company Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has agreed to buy U.S. eye care company Bausch & Lomb Holdings Inc. for $8.7 billion, Valeant said in a press release. As part of the agreement between the parties, $4.5 billion of the total deal amount will be transferred to a group of investors led by the American investment company Warburg Pincus, which bought the asset in 2007 for $3.7 billion.

─ршфчёҐ

May 27, 2013, 03:36 / Finance Rosbank may pay for Golubkov Rosbank can pay Vladimir Golubkov’s legal expenses through top management liability insurance, the limit of which is RUB 410 million. But the bank has not yet contacted the insurer Yuri Nekhaychuk The liability of Rosbank's top management, including Chairman of the Board Golubkov, is insured by AIG (formerly Chartis) with a limit of 409.5 million rubles.

A. Makhonin In the capital, there are “historically formed” 88 industrial areas with a total area of ​​about 16 hectares, the Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship reported in March. The currently changing general plan previously stipulated which of them were subject to reorganization, and which should be preserved for production.

May 27, 2013, 03:37 / Finance NPF Blagosostoyanie closed the deal to purchase Absolut Bank The Russian Railways pension fund Blagosostoyanie bought Absolut Bank from the Belgian KBC. Andrey Degtyarev will become the new chairman of the bank's board, who will merge it with the controlled fund KIT Finance Natalia Biyanova Olga Plotonova Russian Railways Group may merge Absolut Bank with KIT Finance / S.

The situation around Syria is becoming more tense and at the same time more complicated. Yesterday, the British newspaper Sunday Times reported, citing an anonymous Russian official, that deliveries of the S-300 air defense system to Syria had been stopped at Israel's request. An Israeli government source denied the agreement between Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There has been no official confirmation or denial of this information.