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Bulgaria will not break off MiG maintenance deal with Russia
The anti-monopoly service of Bulgaria refused to annul the government’s deal with the Russian aircraft construction company MiG. The demand of the Ukrainian company Ukrinmash was thus rejected, Reuters reported on Tuesday January 2 with reference to a statement by the Bulgarian anti-monopoly regulator. The decision can be challenged within three days.
In December 2017, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry commissioned MiG to service 15 old fighters. The four-year deal was estimated at a value of $50. …
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Russia considers creating cryptocurrency for payments between BRICS and EEU countries
The Bank of Russia is considering the possibility of introducing a supranational digital currency within the BRICS or the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Central Bank first deputy chairperson Olga Skorobogatova told reporters, Finanz.ru reports.
“We are continuing the work to investigate this matter. A matter which seems to us advisable to discuss on with our colleagues is the possibility of introducing a supranational digital currency in EEU territory or within the BRICS. There are many …
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Russia increases export duty on oil by $6.4 per ton
Beginning January 1, the export duty on oil in Russia has increased by $6.4 per ton, rising from $105 to $111.4.
As Interfax reports, citing information from the Ministry of Economic Development, the preferential duty rate on crude oil from Eastern Siberia, the Caspian fields and Prirazlomnoye field will remain at zero, based on a new formula adopted within the framework of a tax maneuver for the oil sector. Beginning January 1, the duty on high-viscosity crude Increased to $17.9 from $16.8 in …
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Media: Russian billionaires dispose of assets ahead of US sanctions
Russian oligarchs have begun to dispose of assets ahead of the publication of the US Finance Ministry’s report on businessmen who are close to the Kremlin and may be placed under sanctions.
As TASS reported with reference to information from the London Stock Exchange, at the end of December a large block of shares in the Petropavlovsk gold-mining company was sold by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who is number 10 on the Russian Forbes list with $12.4 billion.
The Petropavlovsk shares were …
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Russia: external interference in Iran’s affairs is inadmissible
The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that mass unrest in Iran should be considered part of the country’s internal affairs, Russia’s TASS news agency reports. The Foreign Ministry also expressed hope that the situation will develop without bloodshed in the future.
"External interference destabilizing the situation is inadmissible," the Foreign Ministry added.
Protests across a number of major Iranian cities began on Thursday, December 28, in Meshed. The demonstrators took to the streets, …