By John Helmer in Moscow The Guinean government in Conakry has decided not to despatch a Foreign Ministry delegation to Moscow for the time being, while it gives negotiators from Russia’s aluminium monopoly, United Company Rusal, the chance to discuss privatisation, tax and accountingclaims next week. Guinean sources have told Business Day that a planned […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow The test of a rising empire is how far from home it will go to take wealth from the natives. The test of a declining empire is how much more it will spend on keeping the natives down than being there is worth. By this standard, Russian Aluminium (Rusal) in […]

by John Helmer - Friday, October 2nd, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow The Guinean Government in Conakry says it has enough evidence to launch a new court claim against Russian aluminium company, Rusal, for at least $1 billion. A local court filing is expected shortly, government sources in Conakry say, citing evidence of inflated costs and allegations of manipulation of financial accounts […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow A secret meeting in the middle of the night in the presidential palace in the Guinean capital of Conakry, requested by the Russian aluminium oligarch Oleg Deripaska, has triggered a Guinean court ruling and a tax investigation of claims amounting to $700 million. The claims catapult the Guinean government and […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, September 24th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Mahmoud Thiam, the US-trained banker turned resource policymaker for the Guinean government (pictured right), says that the nine-month review he has initiated of the country’s major mineral and mining concessions is not intended to reopen or renege on every deal done with foreign miners during the 25-year rule of Lansana […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, September 24th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Canada has refused an entry visa for Mikhail Margelov, the Kremlin’s special representative to Africa. The reason, according to Canadian sources, is Margelov’s past connexions to the KGB, the Soviet intelligence agency. While officially, the Canadian Embassy in Moscow and government in Ottawa refuse to comment publicly on individual visa […]

by John Helmer - Sunday, September 13th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow A Republic of Guinea tribunal ruled this week in Conakry that United Company Rusal, one of the largest bauxite, alumina and aluminum producers in the world, unlawfully acquired its shareholding control of the Friguia alumina refinery in the country in 2006, and should make restitution. The judgement comes before the […]

by John Helmer - Friday, September 11th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow The Russian government and the association representing Russian grain exporters in Moscow appear to have backed down from claims that Egypt wrongfully seized several cargoes of Russian wheat last month. Until now, the public position, according to Arkady Zlochevsky, spokesman for the Russian Grain Union, was that Egyptian claims to […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, June 4th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Russia has seized a shipment of Egyptian oranges at Novorossiysk port, after discovering Mediterranean fruit-fly infestation. The orange move has been reported in the Russian media as tit for tat for Egyptian moves to seize three shipments of Russian wheat since May 13. Rosselkhoznadzor (RSN), the government’s food and farm […]

by John Helmer - Friday, May 22nd, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow The president of the Russian grain exporters’ association went on the offensive against Egypt today, charging the Egyptian government has so far failed to report any findings, or lodge any claims, against Russian wheat imports. According to Egyptian media reports, 137,000 tonnes of Russian grain cargoes have been detained from […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
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