Business & Financial News

The vice-president of board of Russian Open Society “Gazprom” Alexander Medvedev has opposed developed by the European Union (EU) reforms focused on the interdiction of long-term contracts in power industry. He has also said that it was not necessary to limit the rights of the companies on gas and oil- pipelines networks possession.
The vice-president thinks that the long-term trading activity should not be replaced by the short-term trading activity and give” a green light for activity of such companies as gone bankrupt American corporation Enron Corp. “. Medvedev has noticed that everyone is aware of the unpleasant results of such changes.
At the same time Medvedev has emphasized, that Gazprom is ready to work according to the legislation, however, he has specified, that it «would be a mistake to ignore the opinion of the power resources manufacturers “.
Now, the EU is engaged in the development of the new power policy focused on the maintenance of reliability of deliveries and a healthy competition. In particular, the question on the restriction of the rights of large power resources suppliers on possession of networks gas- and oil pipelines is properly being considered.
The chapter of Eurocommission has noted that the present situation (the termination of oil deliveries from the Russian Federation) strengthens the necessity of the EU to develop the general external power policy and to act as a united front in relation to the third countries.

The Organization of United Nations (UNO) is concerned by the fact that Northern Korea can pump over millions dollars from money of the United Nations for the illegal purposes. The United States require that the Program of Development of the United Nations in North Korea was updated and put forward to external audits.

In reply to the American demands, the United Nations will stop transfer of the currency to the government, local staff and sellers till March, 1st and will stop to finance the diplomats and government officials of Northern Korea in the United Nations in a week.

The program of Development of the United Nations was implemented in North Korea in 1995. The program was observing the projects in an agriculture and environment protection. This program has provided people with food, job and allowed them to survive in conditions of almost famine.

As the North-Korean financial system is not adjusted to address with purchasing orders, checks or the credits, the Program of Development of the United Nations, pays the majority of its charges in euro, including a rent. Such practice contradicts rules, but managers felt, that they could watch better the streams of money, placing payments directly in hands of people, instead of financial thieves.

The unwillingness of the USA to soften the economic and political sanctions imposed to Northern Korea remains the subject of concern on the nuclear program between Korea and the USA. The external observers mark, that even the slightest step in this question may be considered as a successful progress.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea said that the negotiations in Berlin had passed in a positive and frank atmosphere, and even the certain consent had been reached. Most of the attention was to the direct dialogue between Korea and the USA in attempt to settle the confused problems in the decision of a nuclear question. The dialogue between diplomats has proceeded for 9 hours. The maintenance of these conversations and the reached results were not informed. The experts assume, that Korean diplomat could offer concessions in the nuclear program in exchange for some economic indulgences from the USA.

Before the meeting in Berlin, Washington categorically refused from the direct dialogue with Korea, insisting on carrying out only six-sided negotiations in which the representatives of two Korean state, China, Russia, the USA and Japan would participate.

The European Union and China begin negotiations this week concerning the all-round agreement which will include climate change and energy topics. The E.U. regards these topics as critical concerns of China’s present economic development.
The special representative of E.U. external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, has met the Chinese leaders in Beijing. Concerned with the future negotiations, two parties made up final preparations in the scheme of E.U.-China cooperation.
Ferrero-Waldner said, that E.U. and China were two of the most important and essential powers in the global economy, and influence of their incorporated actions is rather considerable. She also said that together China and E.U. present 30 % of the world’s population and their further cooperation will, obviously, have a global influence. According to Ferrero-Waldner’s words, the Cooperation Agreement will cover 22 areas, including energy, science, trade and many others. Nowadays, the most important issues to be dealt with are energy security and environment pollution.
Separate problems of when to remove E.U. weapon embargo against China and to give the Chinese economy the status of market economy won’t be revealed at these negotiations.
Ferrero-Waldner pointed out that granting of the status of market economy was just a technical matter, and China should do more steps in opening its markets.

The sea platform can become a zone without the copyright
Owners of The Pirate Bay piracy network, providing its users with a free-of-charge piracy musical files, are going to buy the island located approximately in 8 kilometers from the Great Britain. Thus they wish to avoid the responsibility for the infringement of copyrights.
The island is a sea platform which was left by the British militaries in 1966. However in same year the major of British army Paddy Roy Bates has proclaimed a platform as the independent state with a hereditary monarchy under name Sealand. The major has declared himself as Prince Roy.
For many years Roy has been making money on tourists by selling passports, money, stamps and other attributes of the independent state. Everyone could become a lord or baron for 30 pounds sterling. In 90s the powerful Internet-servers have established on the platform; this business has brought quite good incomes to the Prince and his family. Then, the authority of the “country” has subsequently passed to the major’s son Michael who, after a fire on island in June, 2006, has counted, that the expenses for its repair would not be paid back, and has exposed the platform on sale.
The “authorities” of the Sealand and the Swedish pirates are worth of each other - both parties had problems with the law. The first managed to get away from the punishment. In 1968 British fleet has tried to throw the major out of the island; however, the Court has decided that the platform is out of Great Britain’s territorial waters and it is not under jurisdiction of this country. The second (Swedish pirates) are constantly attacked by the law enforcement bodies. The authorities of the USA and Sweden are actively trying to close their site.
In pirates’ opinion, the purchase of the platform will give them freedom and independence. There they want to establish the state where the basic international laws including the law on the copyright will not operate. However, it is likely that the purchase won’t take place: a Spanish real-estate Company, engaged into the trade of islands, has offered to Prince Michael almost $1 billion for the island while the owners of the piracy site managed to collect only $14 thousand.

On the preliminary data, the economic growth in China made 10, 5 % in 2006.This information was published by the National commission on development and reforms of China.

According to the commission, the gross in the national product of China in the last to year has exceeded 20 billion yuanes (2, 6 billion US dollars). The published data have coincided with forecasts of the experts.

The highest rates of economic growth of China were fixed in the 2nd quarter of 2006, - then growth of gross national product of the country has made 11, 3 %. However, in rates of growth of economy have lowered up to 10, 4 % the 3rd quarter of 2006.

During the period of 2007-2012 the government of China expects the economic growth on the average rate of 7, 5 %. If the forecasts of Chinese “governmental plan” will be justified, that rates of the gross national product will continue to increase, keeping a risk of an overheat in Chinese economy.

Experts also predict that in the nearest years the cost of the Chinese export will exceed cost of the import. At the same time, the experts mark, that the proceeding growth of trading proficiency causes a serious concern of the China’s government. Such concerns are explained by the fact that the economists match the translation multinational manufactures as the main reason of increase in active balance of trading balance of China.

The new president of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega has declared about joining to the trade and economic union of Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia.

After the official ceremony of inauguration where the presidents of Venezuela and Bolivia, and also the chapter of official Cuban delegation of the vice-president of state advice of Cuba, were present, Ortega has promised, that Nicaragua will officially join the trade and economic union also known as the Bolivian alternative of America.

The main course of this project consists in the development of regional integration between the countries using real opportunities of national economies.

Last Saturday the General public prosecutor of Sacred Throne, Nicola Picardi, has declared, that Vatican is going to join the Schengen convention on the free visa moving of citizens.
Picardi stressed that such decision of Vatican is caused by the threat of the international terrorism and the necessity of close cooperation between countries in the struggle against this phenomenon.
Speaking about the cooperation in this field with the authorities of Italy, the General public prosecutor has emphasized, that this work should not be isolated only by remedial or juridical frameworks. The struggle against international terrorism requires new forms of co-operation which, not restraining any freedom, would strengthen world safety.
In Picardi’s opinion, in case of international terrorism, it is necessary to intensify an exchange of operative information and to strengthen the preventive measures directed on the safety of people.
However, Picardi has not explained how it will influence the tourists in case of joining the Schengen Agreement.

The world prices for oil are continuing to fall. The price of oil of the Brent mark at the London International oil stock exchange made $53,28 for barrel, what is more than on 40 cents less than the price of Wednesday which has made $53,69. The prices for oil in the USA are shoving the same tendency.
The decrease in the world prices for hydro carbonic raw materials is connected with a warm winter and a growth of oil stocks in storehouses of the largest world consumer of oil - the USA.
Besides, in opinion of experts, the decrease of the pressure in the oil market could be affected by the resolution of the conflict between Russia and Belarus around the deliveries of oil to the Western Europe by oil pipeline ″Friendship″.
Now the prices for oil have reached the minimum for last 19 months, since June, 2005.

A part of the tail of the Indonesian jetliner which has disappeared 10 days ago with 102 people aboard (96 passengers and 6 members of the team board) has been found in the sea from the island Sulawesi.
The commander of the Makassar air base (Eddy Suyanto) reported that the part of the jet’s tail has been found in the 300 meters distance from the coast by the fisherman. According to the Adam’s Air data the found wreckage had a stabilizer number 65C25746-76 on the left tail; this allowed the Adam Air to identify the plane.
It is worth of reminding that Boeing-737 of the Adam’s Air Company, has fallen in the sea on the 1st of January 2007 near Makassar – the capital of the Central province of the Sulawesi. The data of the plane’s air crash were received from the Singapore’s information resources.  
The plane made flight on the route Djakarta - Surabaja - Manado (Northern Sulawesi). Boeing has left the airport of Surabaja at 13:00 according to the local time. The last signal from the plane has been lost at 14:07, even in five hours after the start of the flight it was considered as temporary lost.