April 2017

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. issued the following statement today on the release of the February 2017 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services monthly data. In February 2017, the trade deficit stood at $43.6 billion compared to $45.6 billion in February 2016. In February 2017, exports of goods and services stood at $192.9 billion, compared to $180.7 billion in February 2016. In February 2017, imports of goods and services stood at $236.4 billion, compared to $226.3 billion in February 2016.

Directors welcomed the creation of new anticorruption institutions, but strongly urged the authorities to strengthen these institutions further and to establish an independent anticorruption court to achieve concrete results, in order to support the reform program, attract investment, and achieve faster growth.

Comprehensive restructuring plan will require a substantial impairment or conversion of our bonds, as well as impairment, losses or substantial dilution for other stakeholders. As a result, the Company currently expects that shareholders are likely to receive minimal recovery for their existing shares.

International benchmark Brent futures rose 3 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $53.56 a barrel by 0658 GMT. The March contract closed the previous session down 13 cents at $52.83 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 10 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $50.70 a barrel after settling 25 cents higher in the previous session.

Министр также рассказал о влиянии санкций на реализацию проектов в Арктике. «Ни один российский проект не остановился. Наша промышленность от санкций только выиграла, Например, сегодня «Газпром» уже использует в арктической зоне 100% оборудования российского производства. Что касается того импорта, который пока остался, то мы переориентировались на наших восточных партнеров», - сказал Александр Новак.

Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января – марта 2017 года составила $ 52,04 за баррель.

The light, sweet crude oil contract for May settled above $50/bbl on the New York market Mar. 30 while the May Brent contract settled above $52.90/bbl in London. Prices edged lower on both markets on Mar. 31.

To meet Sustainable Energy for All objectives, it is estimated that renewable energy investment would need to increase by a factor of 2-3, while energy efficiency investment would need to increase by a factor of 3-6. Estimates suggest that a five-fold increase would be needed to reach universal access by 2030.

The world’s largest listed oil company by output has spent the past four months trumpeting agreements to buy oil from Egypt, Libya and Iraqi Kurdistan, drilling exploration wells in southern Iraq and considering opportunities in Lebanon, as it chases deals to fuel its fledgling international expansion.

Although Turkey has a lack of energy reserves itself, it is a good transit state and can bring benefit to both itself and the EU through the use of alternative pipelines in different regions. Like Russia, Turkey has both problematic and good relations with the European Union, but unlike Russia it wants to be the part of Euro-Atlantic Security Community.