OJSC Svyazinvest 

Information Department 

119121 Moscow, ul. Plyushikha 55, str. 2, tel. (095) 727-04-18/fax  (095) 727-04-75

E-mail: pr@svyazinvest.ru

April 23, 2002 ????                                                                                  Moscow 

The Anti-Monopoly Ministry of the Russian Federation has granted formal approval to the North-Western (April 8^th), Siberian (April 16^th) and Volga (April 18^th) mergers pending acceptance of the following requirements:  

·   that merging operators ensure indiscriminate (equal) access to their networks, which involves publishing information in the mass media about this on a regular basis;

·   within six months from the time that AMM has authorized the merger to spin off as one or more legal entities those parts of the core company which provide only telecom services not subject to state regulation;

·   to ensure that telecom service are provided to all operators on an indiscriminate (equal) basis, which involves publishing information in the mass media about this on a regular basis;

·   to ensure indiscriminate access of operators (including mobile operators) to telecom networks (including switching facilities), and that said access shall be on an indiscriminate basis;

·   ensure upgrade and development of telecom networks, including remote and rural areas. 

General Information:

The telecom entities involved in the North-Western merger include:

OJSC Artelecom Arkhangelsk Region, OJSC Murmanskelektrosvyaz, OJSC Novgorodtelecom, OJSC Cherepovetselektrosvyaz, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Vologda Region, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Kaliningrad Oblast, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Republic of Karelia, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Pskov Region. 

The telecom entities involved in the Siberian merger include: 

OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Republic of Altai, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Republic of Buryatia, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Republic of Khakassiya, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Krasnoyarsk krai, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Irkutsk region, OJSC Elektrosvayz, Kemerovo region, OJSC Elektrosvyaz Omsk region, OJSC Chita region, OJSC Altaitelecom, OJSC Tomsktelecom. 

The telecom entities involved in the Volga merger include: 

OJSC Svyazinform Samara, OJSC Elektrosvyaz Orenburg, OJSC Saratovelektrosvyaz, OJSC Udmurttelecom, OJSC Kirovelektrosvyaz, OJSC Svyazinform, Chuvashiya, OJSC Martelecom Marii El, OJSC Svyazinform Mordovia, OJSC Svyazinform Penza, OJSC Elektrosvyaz, Ulyanovsk.   

The Anti-Monopoly Ministry of the Russian Federation had previously granted its approval to the Far East merger (December 25, 2001) and the Urals merger (January 3, 2002).  In March 2002 10 telecom operators of the Southern Region filed applications with the AMM to merger with the Southern Telecommunications Company.  A total of 16 operators filed merger applications in the Central Region.