INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OIL PRODUCTION WILL TAKE PLACE IN SEPTEMBER IN PRIMORYE

It will become clear in September, how fruitful was Governor Sergei Darkin's recent trip to Norwegian city Stawanger, Eurpoe's unofficial oil capital.

As the regional administration's press office reports, an international conference on oil production problems will take place in Vladivostok in September and "agreements reached on construction of offshore platforms with concrete gravity-based substructures in Primorye will be legally fixed." Primorye's delegation presented possibilities of this industry during its trip to Stawanger, where in-principle agreements were reached with a number of oil companies, Sergei Darkin declared. - Yury ROGOV.

VLADPORT RENOVATES EQUIPMENT

Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port (VCSP), one of largest companies in the region's transport industry, bought equipment for reconstruction of portal cranes from Noel Crane Systems GmbH (Hannover). The contract was financed by the Vladivostok branch of Vneshtorgbank.

Given below are comments by Alexey Solodushko, head of the port's clientele department.

- The port is renovating cargo handling equipment. Hardware for portal cranes was procured under two contracts. Part of the total price was paid by VCSP upfront from its internal fund, and the remainder will be paid in equal shares during three years.

Vneshtorgbank used for this deal a letter of credit with deferral of payment supported by a foreign bank. In essence, this allowed to clear off payment to Noel Crane Systems GmbH just after the equipment was shipped, and the port received a deferral for a long period on rather soft terms. - Anastasia DENEZHKINA.

COURT MARSHALS DISCUSSED THEIR PROBLEMS

Primorsky Krai arbitration court held a briefing "Court Writ Execution: Problems and Trends."

Judiciary officials acknowledged that there are significant flaws in federal rules on court writ execution and, as a result, court marshals can be manipulated to the advantage of one of parties in bankruptcy procedures, particularly at the stage of property arrest, appraisal and sale.

Arbitration court Sergei Chumakov noted the special role of court marshals in disputes on property issues. He further said that, though the court marshal service has been working more than seven years in accordance with the federal law on court writ execution, there is no respective court trial practice, which lead to rather numerous complaints about its performance.

By arbitration court's data only 46% of complaints on court marshals was accepted as valid in 2000, 36% in 2001, 44% IN 2002. The total number of complained decreased by year 2003, but about one-third was accepted as valid.

The majority of complaints is just actions taken to delay arrest of property under writs of execution, noted the region's Chief Court Marshal Alexander Shepel. Persons or corporate entities subject to property arrest sanctions send complaints to as many addresses as possible and, while their complaints are probed, use this time to sell out property, withdraw money from bank accounts or transfer main assets to another entity. After that, when there is nothing to exempt, court marshals become accused of failure to take action.

Another problem is corruption among court marshals, with six criminal investigations opened by prosecutors. IN some case, court marshals are charges with underestimating the value of assets. For instance, a fishing trawler with a market price of $5 million was appraised at a much smaller price and Vladivostok fish processing factory failed to avoid bankruptcy procedures. - Yury NURMUKHAMETOV.

20 MILLION RUBLES WORTH OF TIMBER ILLEGALLY EXPORTED TO CHINA

One of Khabarovsk-based timber exporters signed in December 2003 a contract with a company from Suifenhe on ash-tree and oak wood delivery. It showed to regulatory authorities licenses and a package of necessary documents, including four commission agreements on timber export with different organizations.

However, investigators found out that only one agreement was real, and seals and signatures on three others were fake. Therefore, 20 million rubles worth of valuable timber was exported illegally. A criminal investigation has been opened over this affair. - Yury ROGOV.

ABOUT 700,000 LEFT FAR EAST DURING 15 YEARS

At a press conference held in Vladivostok, U.N.F.P.A.'s experts in regional migration problems declared that 678,000 people have left the Russian Far east during 1989-2003.

By words of Sergei Ryazantsev, head of the social demography department of ISPI RAN (Moscow), the reason for such an intensive migration process is difference in social and economic development between regions. The main outflow of populations is registered in Primorye, Khabarovsky Krai, Amur Oblast and Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

Specialists assert that many migrate to the Far East from Chita Oblast, Chechnya and Tuva, with rather high percentage of illegal immigrants. As of 1 January, the Far Eastern Federal District's total population was 6.6 million.

By U.N.'s data, one billion people take part in migration processes annually, of which 175 million move to permanent residence in other countries. U.N. experts estimate that Russia was ranking world's second in the number of immigrants in 2000, following only USA. - Yulia PROKHOROVA.

NAME ON VODKA LABEL

Vodka producers try to attract buyers by putting well-known names on their product.

By data of the National Alcohol Association, there are more than 2,500 vodka brands in Russia. This diversity puts buyers at a loss, because they don't know the majority of brands, and alcohol producers try to personify their products by using the associative method and putting well-known names on vodka labels.

Such personified vodkas came mainly from the western part of Russia, but local distilleries also take their steps. Primorye's largest alcohol producer Ussuriisky Balsam with a product range of about 30 items, including Ussuriiskaya, Armu Ledyanaya, Ussuriisky Rodnik, will soon launch "Fedor Konyukhov" brand.

It took almost 8 months from first negotiations with Fedor Konyukhov till output of first vodka bottles with his name on the label. For Primorye citizens, this famous traveler is a symbol of courage, strong character, iron will. Another important aspect is that part of sales receipts will be deducted for his new travels, says Ussuriisky Balsam deputy production director Valentina Kutsenko.

The new vodka is referred to Premium class and will be sold at 100 rubles per 0.5 liters. However, introduction of new brands involves additional risks, particularly at the local level. The distillery's ten available brands diffuse its customers. Some experts believe that none of local distilleries is able to stand in a competition with products imported from other parts of Russia with their huge advertising budgets such as Crystal or Istok.

"In this situation, local producers should rather concentrate on 3-4 well selling brands than introduce new ones. They should promote their well-established brands through advertising. An example of such policies is Argo-1 with its main brand Nikita Kozhemyako, which signals all other vodka brands of this company," says Olga Fefer, director of FPRG agency specialized in re-branding.

But Ussuriisky Balsam director general Dmitry Yerokhin is of different opinion. He believes that importation of produce from other regions should be restricted to fill the market with local products. At present, 70% of vodka is supplied to Primorye from other regions, whose competitive edges are quantity and price. In Yerokhin's opinion, quotas should be imposed on products brought from outside of Primorye - "it is just what Khabarovsky Krai government is doing to support local alcohol producers." - Yury NURMUKHAMETOV.