Moscow, 23 May 2003 – RUSAL, the world's second largest producer of primary aluminium announced today that Hermann Schmitt has been appointed general counsel to the company and advisor to the general director. He is also appointed as a Member of RUSAL’s Executive Council, the senior leadership group which provides strategic direction for the company.

RUSAL is one of the world leaders in the aluminium sector and is pursuing aggressive expansion plans in the international arena. This continuing internationalization of the company’s busines has yielded growing need for skills and experience in the legal support of major international deals.

Hermann Schmitt spent the past eight years working as Managing Partner of the international law firm Clifford Chance’s Moscow office. He led the legal support on many major deals and was involved in major M & A transactions in various sectors, including the creation and acquisition of banks. Mr.Schmitt was an advisor on the financing structure for certain projects in Russia’s metals industry, including on behalf of RUSAL. Mr. Schmitt will combine his appointment as RUSAL general counsel with a continued practice as a partner at Clifford Chance.

Biographical information:
Hermann Schmitt was born on 15 May 1961. He graduated from Marburg and Giessen Universities in 1985. He started his career at Clifford Chance Punder in 1990 in Frankfurt, and in 1994 became a Partner. Since 1996 Hermann Schmitt was a Managing Partner at Clifford Chance Moscow office. In May 2003 Hermann Schmitt was appointed a Partner of Clifford Chance in Frankfurt. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and arbitration.

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About RUSAL
RUSAL is the second largest primary aluminium producer in the world, formed in March 2000 from the merger of a number of largest smelters and other aluminium producers located in the CIS.  The Company accounts for 75% of Russia's primary aluminium output and 10% of the global primary aluminium output. RUSAL is a fully vertically integrated company with a complete production cycle from bauxite mining and the production of raw materials, to the production of primary metal, semi-products and aluminium-based end products. RUSAL is headquartered in Moscow.

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For further information:
RUSAL
www.RUSAL.com
Moscow
Eugenia Harrison, Moscow +7 095 720 5170, or zharrison@rusal.ru;
Fred Harrison, London + 44 207 431 7517, or fharrison@ansdellconsult.com;
Stan Neve, New York + 1 212 333 3810, or sneve@brunswickgroup.com