ALEXANDER SOKOLOV RETAINED MAYOR'S CHAIR IN KHABAROVSK

Khabarovsk mayor Alexander Sokolov was elected to his second term in office on past Sunday.

He was supported by more than 84% of electors who came to polls. Two other candidates, Mikhail Bunkov and Vladimir Sosnin, received 4.2% and 3.1% of votes respectively. By words of Viktor Tsyrfa, chairman of the city electoral commission, voter turnout was over 130,500 (about 31% of the total number), while the minimum turnout for a legitimate vote is 20%. - Yury ROGOV.

GMC EXTENDED HELPING HAND TO COLLEAGUES

The court-appointed manager of Lermontovskaya Mining Co. (LGRC) and administration of the managing company OAO Gorno-Metallurgy Complex Dalpolumetal (GMC) signed an agreement on services to rehabilitate the production cycle in LGRC.

Production in Lermontovskaya will be brought back to life by GMC's branch in Svetlogorye and Yevgeny Kubyshkin, formerly director of a lead mill in Rydnaya Pristan. The branch is currently conducting an audit of LGRC and setting up its equipment. Much overburden needs to be removed before ore can be produced. Another problem is workforce - as a result of lengthy crisis in LGRC and months-long wage arrears, many miners quit the company.

"ZR" FILE: LGRC, one of Russia's two tungsten ore concentrate producers, is located on the administrative border between Primorye and Khabarovsky Krai, 18 km from Bikin City, in Svetlogorye settlement, Pozharsky Raion of Primorsky Krai. Staff number is over 500.

LGRC's problems began in mid-1990s, when tungsten concentrate prices dropped and its debts started piling up, while 3 middlemen were selling its produce in the domestic and international markets. Late last year, LGRC's management initiated bankruptcy procedures, and external monitoring procedures were soon followed by bailout management. GMC's officials say that their company has come to Svetlogorye with serious long-time intentions. GMC is ready to conduct geologic survey works and will fulfill LGRC's social obligations before the local community. - Tatiana KUROCHKINA.

BREWERY SAILING TO TURKEY

As "ZR" predicted some time ago, ZAO Pivovarnia Moscow-Efes, a Russian affiliate of Turkish company Efes, made preliminary agreement to buy 68% in Pivoindustria Primorya from CEBCO holding, actively selling out its assets.

It should be reminded that members of CEBCO holding, established by shareholders of the juice and milk packing company Wimm Bill Dann, were several breweries: Volga (Nizhny Novgorod), Shikhan (Sterlitamak), Pivoindustria Primorya and Moskvoretsky in Moscow. Later, Moskvoretsky and Pivoindustria Primorya were withdrawn from the holding, with 67.12% in the latter handed over to OOO Production and Trade Group Rusich. In early August, CEBCO together with Volga and Shikhan was bought by Heineken from Holland.

Pivoindustria Primorya is valued at an estimated $20 million. SUN Interbrew, whose closest brewery is located in Omsk, showed interest in it some time ago. Another possible contender for Primorye's beer is Baltica, who recently built a brewery in Khabarovsk. - Olga DOBROLYUBOVA.

RESERVES GO DOWN IN WATER RESERVOIRS

Water reserves continue decreasing in reservoirs of south Primorye. Artemovskoye and Bogatinskoye are filled at 51% and 20% respectively, with water level going down.

By data of the Emergencies Ministry's regional centre, the reason for that is insufficient inflow to reservoirs caused by little precipitation in this year. About 300,000 cubic meters of water is supplied to Vlasivostok daily, which is 74% of demand. Specialists of KGUP Primorsky Vodokanal estimate that available water reserves, including estimated inflow to reservoirs and yield of intake waterworks in Shtykovo and Shkotovo, will suffice for stable supply to communities of south Primorye till 1 May 2005, given that consumption rate is at 455,000 cubic meters per day. - Yevgeny ITAROV.