Category Archives: Business

What to Make of Putin’s Anti-Offshore Crusade

Posted on January 22, 2012 by

Last month, PM Putin addressed the Government Commission on Electricity Generation. At the meeting, Putin launched into a searing critique of Russian companies using offshore “front companies.” Indeed, Putin noted, “Taking the Russian economy and its strategic sectors out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Business and Economy, corruption, Dmitry Medvedev, Gazprom, goskorporatsii, legal update, offshore, PM Putin, President Medvedev, Rostekhnologii, russia, state corporations, utilities companies, Vedomosti, Vladimir Putin, war on corruption | 2 Comments

IKEA in Russia – Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Posted on June 21, 2011 by

It has been six months since I last wrote on IKEA, and I thought it was time to check in on TRM’s favorite foreign investor in Russia.  In December, it appeared that IKEA’s problems were only getting worse.  The whole story … Continue reading →

Posted in bribery, bribes, bureaucracy, Business, compliance, corruption, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, IKEA, Nabiullina, oecd, rule of law | 4 Comments

2012 Presidential Campaign Launches in Russian Style – Part II

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

[TRM's second installment on recent events in Russia] Medvedev made quite a few headlines two weeks ago with a series of moves that signaled a renewed push to ‘improve the investment climate’ in Russia.  This is, of course, not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, clans, compliance, corruption, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, goskorporatsii, Government of Russia, Kremlinology, ldpr, Medvedev, oligarchs, PM Putin, power vertical, President Medvedev, Putin, Putin's Plan, rule of law, russia, Russian economy, siloviki, state corporations, strategic industries, tandemocracy, Vedomosti, Vladimir Putin | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Strategic Sectors Law Update – Draft Amendments and First Meeting of 2011

Posted on March 30, 2011 by

Strategic Sectors Law Amendments On February 17, the Russian government submitted amendments to the Strategic Sectors law.  The only substantive change the amendments address is the ownership issue I covered here – i.e., that the law currently applies to any … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, Government of Russia, Law, legal update, legislation, moscow, oligarchs, PM Putin, Putin, reform, reserves, russia, Russian economy, strategic industries, Vladimir Putin | 1 Comment

Tip of the Spear – Can Big Business Battle Corruption in Russia?

Posted on March 26, 2011 by

Last year, there was a minor stir in the Russian and Western press when major European/American businesses and business associations involved in Russia signed an integrity pact pledging not to pay bribes in that country.  Many were skeptical at the … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-corruption legislation, bribery, bureaucracy, Business, Business and Economy, compliance, corruption, fcpa, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, RECA