FC drafting law on state control of alcohol consumption.

MOSCOW, August 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Federation Council is
drafting a law on the state control over alcohol production and
consumption, the first deputy head of the economic policy committee,
Vladimir Gusev, told Itar-Tass.

"Comprehensive measures in the fight against alcoholism are necessary.
They should be based on state regulation of this sphere, on the right and
obligation to tightly control how the legally set rules are implemented,"
he said.
The first deputy head of the constitutional legislation committee and
youth affairs commission, Valery Fydorov, supports the initiative of
toughening responsibility for the underage alcohol sales. He believes that
sales persons have to ask for passports before selling alcohol drinks to
young people.
"A sales person should be confident that the customers are really
full-aged," the parliamentarian said.
Meanwhile, parliamentarians are still have no unanimous opinion on
whether it is necessary to create a state monopoly on the production and
marketing of alcohol drinks.
Gusev recalled 'the tsar monopoly' when the production of alcohol
accounted for 30 percent of pre-revolutionary Russia's budget. In the
former Soviet Union this share totalled 22-27 percent, while at present,
it is even lower than 1 percent.
However, he admitted that "not an economic component should be
dominating in changing the anti-alcohol policy in our country - first of
all it is necessary to keep our nation healthy and ensure a normal
demographic situation."



.Canada's SNC-Lavalin buys 48% of shares in Russia's VNP.

OTTAWA, August 15 (Itar-Tass) - Canada's leading engineering group
SNC-Lavalin said on Friday it had purchased a 48-percent stake in Russia's
engineering company OAO VNIPIneft (VNP), the company said in a statement
published on its website.
OAO VNIPIneft is Russia's leading engineering company specialized in
oil refining, gas processing, petrochemicals and chemicals.
"We are delighted with this acquisition," said Jean Beaudoin,
Executive Vice-President, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. "SNC-Lavalin has been
operating in Russia for over 30 years and it is a key market for us. We
have worked well with VNP on our projects in the region during the last
few years, and we now look forward to further strengthening our strategic
position in Russia and to becoming a leader in the oil and gas market in
Russia, combining VNIPIneft's local expertise with our global capabilities
in delivering large projects."
SNC-Lavalin is headquartered in Montreal and has offices in over 35
countries. It is currently working in some 100 countries.
OAO VNIPIneft was founded in 1929 as the research and design institute
of oil refining and petrochemical industry. It has over 40 refineries in
Russia, the CIS, Bulgaria, Hungary, Egypt, India, Cuba, Poland, Turkey and
Ethiopia. In 1998 it signed a contract under the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas
development project.


.Gazprom Germania increases turnover by 70% in Jan-June.

BERLIN, August 15 (Itar-Tass) - Gazprom Germania GmbH, the German
affiliate of Russia's gas giant Gazprom, has reported its gas sales growth
by one third and an increase in its turnover by 70 percent in January-June.
In its press release the company said as of June 30, 2009, its net
revenue comprised 253.7 million euros, up by 11.2 million euros as against
the same period of 2008.
Over the first six months Gazprom Germania's consolidated turnover
reached 9.939,9 billion euros, up by 4.131,0 billion euros as against the
same period of 2008.
Over this period the company's consolidated gas sales totaled 388
billion kW/h, up by 97.4 billion kW/h year-on-year.
Hans-Joachim Gornig, the managing director of Gazprom Germania,
stressed that the results of the work amid the crisis prove that the
company's strategy was seriously planned and effectively implemented.