05 April, 2022 –
Regarding the next coupon payment under Eurobond 2024.
PJSC “ALROSA” (the ‘Company’) informs on
the situation regarding the next coupon payment, which is to be paid
on 9 April 2022, under the US$500,000,000 4.65% Notes due 2024 (the
“Notes”) issued by Alrosa Finance S.A. (Luxemburg) (the “Issuer”)
and guaranteed by the Company (the “Guarantor”).
On 24th of March, 2022 the United Kingdom imposed
sanctions
on the Issuer and the Guarantor. This means that currently due
implementation of the obligations under the Notes is technically
impossible.
The Management of PJSC “ALROSA” confirms its
commitments to fulfill its obligations under the Notes, and it takes
steps to effect the payment in line with the Notes documentation:
·
Following the Russian Presidential Decree of 5 March 2022, the
Company applied to the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation
and was granted a resolution to make international payments to
foreign creditors in foreign currency;
· The Company asked its
Principal Paying Agent and the Trustee (The Bank of New York Mellon,
London Branch and BNY Mellon Corporate Trustee Services Limited
respectively) to apply to the Office of Financial Sanctions
Implementation (the “OFSI”) to issue a special license allowing
the Issuer or the Guarantor to make the coupon payment under the
Notes;
· The Company applied to “OFSI” to issue a special
license allowing the Issuer or the Guarantor to make the coupon
payment under the Notes. This applications requests that “OFSI”
grants specific license authorizing the UK’ financial institutions
and other parties, including the Principal Paying Agent, to process
the normal onward payment towards the Noteholders.
We hereby confirm that the Issuer and the
Guarantor are committed to fulfill the obligations under the Notes in
full and in due time. The Company is totally financially sustainable
and is in possession of all financial resources necessary to fulfill
the next coupon payment in amount of US$11,625,000. As at the end of
2021 ALROSA had a 0.4x Net Debt/EBITDA, its cash and cash equivalents
were US$0.9 bn. We confirm that the Company is taking all possible
steps and measures in order to protect the interests of the
Noteholders.
We will keep the Noteholders regularly informed
about the progress of our communications with the Trustee, the
Principal Paying Agent and the relevant regulatory filings and expect
that the situation can be resolved to the benefit of the Noteholders
as soon as possible. We would also encourage the Noteholders to apply
to the “OFSI” in order to issue the license, which will allow
them to receive the coupon payment under the Notes from the Principal
Paying Agent.
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