Moscow, 11 September: Russian companies included on the list of strategic enterprises are to coordinate their major steps with the authorities when they receive demands from foreign states or international organizations.

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree "On measures to protect the interests of the Russian Federation in the pursuit by Russian legal persons of foreign-trade activity", the Kremlin pres service said today.

The document was signed a few days after reports of a European Commission investigation of Gazprom. It instructs strategic enterprises and their subsidiaries that they can carry out certain acts only with the consent in advance of a federal executive body authorized by the government, in the event of "demands being presented to them by foreign states, international organizations, associations of foreign states, bodies (institutions) of these organizations and alliances including supervisory and (or) regulatory bodies".

This refers in particular to supplying these bodies, organizations and associations with information about the company's activities. If there is no agreement in advance from the authorities, the only information that can be handed over is that which must be disclosed under Russian legislation.

Without official agreement in advance, it will be prohibited to amend contracts with foreign parties or other documents concerning pricing policy in foreign countries or to dispose of interests in foreign organizations or rights to engage in business in foreign states or fixed assets abroad.

(The relevant government body can refuse to allow an action by a strategic enterprise that it believes will be detrimental to the national interest, Interfax added in a later report. Under the same decree Gazprom will in future agree any price reductions to foreign customers with the "authorized government body", according to RIA Novosti news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1316 gmt 12 Sep 12)

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Moscow, 11 September: Russian companies included on the list of strategic enterprises are to coordinate their major steps with the authorities when they receive demands from foreign states or international organizations.

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree "On measures to protect the interests of the Russian Federation in the pursuit by Russian legal persons of foreign-trade activity", the Kremlin pres service said today.

The document was signed a few days after reports of a European Commission investigation of Gazprom. It instructs strategic enterprises and their subsidiaries that they can carry out certain acts only with the consent in advance of a federal executive body authorized by the government, in the event of "demands being presented to them by foreign states, international organizations, associations of foreign states, bodies (institutions) of these organizations and alliances including supervisory and (or) regulatory bodies".

This refers in particular to supplying these bodies, organizations and associations with information about the company's activities. If there is no agreement in advance from the authorities, the only information that can be handed over is that which must be disclosed under Russian legislation.

Without official agreement in advance, it will be prohibited to amend contracts with foreign parties or other documents concerning pricing policy in foreign countries or to dispose of interests in foreign organizations or rights to engage in business in foreign states or fixed assets abroad.

(The relevant government body can refuse to allow an action by a strategic enterprise that it believes will be detrimental to the national interest, Interfax added in a later report. Under the same decree Gazprom will in future agree any price reductions to foreign customers with the "authorized government body", according to RIA Novosti news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1316 gmt 12 Sep 12)