VZCZCXRO9971
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHMO #0893/01 0921059
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011059Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7426
INFO RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 000893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EINT ECON TINT ECPS RS
SUBJECT: STRATEGIC SECTORS LAW: REIMAN DEFEATS ATTEMPT TO INCLUDE 
INTERNET AND MOBILE TELECOM 
 
REF: A) MOSCOW 821 
B) MOSCOW 804 
C) MOSCOW 499 
D) 07 MOSCOW 517 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Communications Minister Reiman beat back an attempt to 
include all telecommunications, including the internet and mobile 
phones, as a "strategic sector" under the draft Strategic Sectors 
Law now making its way through the Duma.  The FSB was apparently 
behind the broad definition.  Reiman argued that including telecom 
would hamper investment in a sector that is booming in Russia, but 
still in need of significant upgrades.  Despite Reiman's 
intervention, the draft law includes fixed line telecommunications 
as a strategic sector.  This would make the long-discussed 
privatization of national fixed-line operator Svyazinvest less open 
to foreign investors.  End Summary. 
 
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Strategic Sectors Law 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) As reported reftels, on March 21 Russia's State Duma passed 
in a second reading the long-awaited Strategic Sectors Law (SSL). 
The draft included five new sectors branded "strategic," including 
telecommunications.  Although the Ministry of Information Technology 
and Communications (MITC) was unhappy with fixed-line telecoms' 
inclusion in the draft Law, Minister Leonid Reiman's direct 
intervention prevented the inclusion of internet service providers 
and mobile telecoms as well. 
 
¶3. (U) The previous version of the amendment would have required 
foreign investors wishing to purchase more than 50% of a Russian 
internet service provider to obtain the approval of the Russian 
Government.  Any company in which a foreign government had a stake 
would have had to gain GOR permission for a purchase of more than 
25% of a Russian telecommunications company.  The law would not 
affect existing ownership, but companies with foreign investors who 
own more than 5% would have had to inform the government of that 
fact. 
 
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IT vs. FSB 
---------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) At a March 6 session, the Duma Committee on Construction 
and Land (CCL) announced the inclusion of additional strategic 
sectors in the draft law, including telecommunications and internet 
service providers.  We met shortly after the announcement with Ilya 
Ponomarev, a member of the Duma IT and Communication Committee 
(ITCC).  Ponomarev told us that the March 6 session "caught everyone 
by surprise."  Members expected to discuss technical issues, not 
changes in the scope of the draft law.      Ponomarev told us 
members had not received the amended text prior to the meeting. 
Martin Shakkum, CCL Chairman encouraged the deputies to accept the 
new version because it was "a directive from the Kremlin." 
Ponomarev speculated that the Federal Security Bureau (FSB) proposed 
such changes as an attempt to "flex its muscles." 
 
¶5. (SBU) The new version of SSL also surprised Minister Reiman and 
the MITC.  Ponomarev reported that shortly after the March 6 
announcement, Reiman met with the Deputy Head of the Presidential 
Administration, Vladislav Surkov, to voice his objections.  Reiman 
publicly criticized the amendments, stating that "there is no 
benefit to any kind of restriction."  The MITC warned that the bill 
would stifle investment in Russia's communications sector, and could 
impact up to 200 telecoms companies and 10,000 internet service 
providers.  Deputy ITC Minister Aleksandr Maslov stated that 
"communications companies need investment to continue consolidating 
their assets...and to install digital lines to replace antiquated 
Soviet-era equipment." 
 
¶6. (SBU) On March 16, Duma CCL Chairman Martin Shakkum announced 
removal of the section of the law covering internet service 
providers.  The draft would retain telecommunications, but fixed 
line only.  Russian press reported that president-elect Dmitriy 
Medvedev made the final decision. 
 
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Industry Implications 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The March 21 version of the law excludes internet service 
providers, and limits telecoms coverage to "major fixed-line 
companies."  The law defines major companies as those "with a 
significant market share in five or more regions" or in "cities of 
federal significance" such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, which 
Rostelecom and Svyazinvest serve. 
 
MOSCOW 00000893  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) We discussed the SSL's potential impact with an official of 
Telenor, the largest foreign investor in Russia's telecoms industry. 
 The Telenor official told us she expects the new law to impact the 
planned sale of the GOR's stake in national fixed-line operator 
Svyazinvest.  She added, however, that foreign investors had not 
shown strong interest in the company up to now.  Telenor also 
indicated that although the SSL does not explicity include mobile 
telecoms, regulators could still consider mobile companies 
"strategic" under existing Telecom law if they hold a "dominant 
market position."   Telenor reports that  two mobile companies, 
VimpelCom and MTS, currently control over 25 percent of the market, 
the threshold for "dominant market position." 
 
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Comment 
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¶9. (SBU) Reiman's vigorous lobbying made the difference in beating 
back the proposed changes to expand the scope of the draft law. 
Reiman has significant ownership interests in several of Russia's 
largest mobile telecoms companies.  Regardless of motive, however, 
his intervention should help  keep Russia's IT and telecoms sectors 
more open to foreign investors. 
 
BURNS