VEB, which holds a blocking state in Vimpelcom, will apparently agree to the merger of the mobile operator with Ukrainian company Kyivstar.  Car sales in Russia fell 52% in September year-on-year, a slight improvement on August's drop of 54%.  State-controlled VEB bank has extended loans for six companies, including Gazprom's oil unit Gazpromneft.  Reuters reports that Italian automaker Fiat is interested in launching its SUV in Russia.  Fiat SpA has said that its CNH unit has signed a letter of intent with truck-maker Kamaz for a joint agricultural and construction equipment project.  The government will provide around $170 million in financial assistance to state-controlled defense industry corporation Oboronprom and titanium producer Vsmpo-Avisma.  Russian Railways has reported that 2008 net income dropped 47% from a year earlier to $2.6 billion.  Russia has placed Hermitage Capital Management ...

Accompanying Barack Obama to Moscow are US business chiefs: a joint venture between Boeing and VSMPO-Avisma, a Russian titanium producer, may be among the projects kick started.  Businessweek reports on Russia-US relations in terms of investment.   Putin says that Russia does not intend to extend the farm machinery tariffs that have been damaging to US manufacturers.  An article in the Times suggests that 'how well' Russia has handled the financial crisis gives the Kremlin an advantage in their negotiations with Obama.  Russia may base the 2010 budget on $55 oil, says Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin.  Farmers will reportedly harvest 5.6% less grain this year than initially predicted.  The CEO of Rushydro, Vasily Zubakin, plans to buy 1.95 million shares in the company this month.  Putin has tried to give the car industry a boost ...