MOSCOW, May 13 (Reuters) – Russia is considering whether to
make state companies pay higher dividends to replenish
government coffers and reassure foreign investors worried by a
slowing economy, falling commodity prices and an opaque business
environment.

The move could help Vladimir Putin fund spending promises he
made to secure a third term as president and may stem outflows
of foreign money from Russia-focused funds.

LONDON/MOSCOW, April 30 (Reuters) – The co-founders of the
Kazakh miner ENRC, hammering out a deal with Russian
lenders to fund a buyout of minority investors, could sell
assets from the group’s sprawling portfolio to repay their own
bank financing and cut group debt.

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation said
divestments would not be immediate, as the three founding
oligarchs and their advisers focus on May 17 – the date by which
they have to announce to London investors whether they will bid.

MOSCOW, April 26 (Reuters) – Russia’s second-largest bank
VTB was set to push ahead with a 100 billion rouble
($3.2 billion) share sale in the coming weeks to bolster its
capital, even as its shares languish after a series of strategic
missteps.

VTB’s supervisory board was expected on Friday to approve
terms for the long-planned issue, said one source close to the
board. A second source close to the issue said the timing of the
sale was yet to be confirmed but it could happen in mid-May.

MOSCOW, April 18 (Reuters) – Foreign investors weary of
unfulfilled reform promises under Vladimir Putin have been
fleeing Russia-focused funds this year, clouding prospects for
the country’s fragile equity markets.

So far this year, $1.2 billion has been pulled from
Russia-focused equity funds – 8 percent of estimated
Russia-dedicated assets – on concern over a slowing economy,
Russia’s exposure to falling commodity prices and a lack of
progress on reforms to make a murky business environment more
transparent.

MOSCOW, April 18 (Reuters) – Veteran emerging markets
investor Mark Mobius urged Russian oil company Rosneft
on Thursday to issue “a nice fat dividend” to ensure minority
shareholders in recently acquired TNK-BP are treated
fairly.

Mobius, whose emerging markets group has shares in TNK-BP,
made his comments one day after a meeting between Rosneft chief
executive Igor Sechin and investors at which the state-owned
company said the possibility of buying out minority investors -
who hold around 5 percent of TNK-BP Holding – was not discussed.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia criticized Western moves to expand a planned United Nations probe into chemical weapons in Syria and compared it to the build-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Russia, which has used its clout as a veto-wielding Security Council state to blunt Western pressure on Syria, says the U.N. probe announced last month should focus on Syrian government allegations rebels used chemical arms near Aleppo.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Investors may be puzzled why billionaire Mikhail Fridman seemed to be bidding against himself for a telecoms company that is no longer for sale.

Fridman is linked with two bids for the Russian unit of Nordic operator Tele2 – one from his A1 vehicle and the other, at a higher price, from MTS and Vimpelcom, in which he is a leading investor.

MOSCOW, April 4 (Reuters) – Investors may be puzzled why
billionaire Mikhail Fridman seemed to be bidding against himself
for a telecoms company that is no longer for sale.

Fridman is linked with two bids for the Russian unit of
Nordic operator Tele2 – one from his A1 vehicle and
the other, at a higher price, from MTS and Vimpelcom
, in which he is a leading investor.

STOCKHOLM/MOSCOW, April 2 (Reuters) – Nordic telecom
operator Tele2 defended a decision to sell its
Russian unit for $3.5 billion and spurn a higher offer from one
of Russia’s wealthiest businessmen.

The deal with state-controlled bank VTB was
followed swiftly by counterbids from groups associated with
tycoon Mikhail Fridman, but Tele2 said the deal was already
done, prompting speculation that the Kremlin may have dictated
proceedings.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s top mobile operator MTS (MBT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Monday urged Tele2 (TEL2b.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to start talks over the Nordic operator’s Russian asset after making a bid of up to $4.25 billion, and said it was strange for management to ignore such an offer.

MTS joined with rival Vimpelcom Ltd (VIP.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), part-owned by billionaire Mikhail Fridman, to bid for Tele2′s Russian unit on Thursday, topping a lower bid by Fridman’s A1 investment group and an agreed deal with state-controlled bank VTB (VTBR.MM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).