VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The Russian Direct Investment Fund announced today its joint venture with Baring Vostok Private Equity Fund V to invest in a coking coal business Tigers Realm Coal Limited.

Russian state-controlled telecom firm Rostelecom could sell up to RUB46 billion (USD1.4 billion) worth of shares in a secondary stock offering next year to help cut its debt.

Russia's state-backed private equity investment fund and Italy's strategic state investment fund have agreed a deal to invest up to 1 billion euros ($1.35 billion) in companies and projects in the two countries, officials said on Monday.

Sovereign wealth funds Korea Investment Corporation and Russian Direct Investment Fund pooled USD500 million for a cross-border private equity investment platform. The fund was intended to encourage trade and investment cooperation between South Korea and Russia.

A total of USD237.1 million was given to Rostelecom by Deutsche Bank and Russian Direct Investment Fund for over 72 million Rostelecom ordinary shares.

A joint Russian-Chinese fund will invest over $200 million in a Russian forestry company.

Major private equity and sovereign wealth funds on Thursday took tentative first steps to invest in Russia.

Russia and China will announce progress on a joint investment fund during a visit by the man expected to be China's next premier.