Taking stock

­How fast will Russia’s equity markets get back to normal life after the fall in December? What can pump them back up? What about investment risk during Russia’s presidential campaign? And which sectors could improve the health of the Russian economy? OtM is joined by Ben Aris, Simon Fentham-Fletcher, Artem Arkhipov and David Cranfield.

Russia consumes

­How much will the Russian consumer market expand in coming years? How will the rise of the middle class determine consumer patterns? And how good are Russians at saving money? In the second part of the program, Peter Lavelle asks his guests how recent political developments will affect Russia's business environment – and whether the average consumer could enjoy the same perks as the business...

Finally WTO

­How will Russia and the WTO match up? Will the WTO membership benefit big Russian exporters at the expense of Russian small businesses? Will tougher competition motivate Russian companies to raise their standards, or will a wave of foreign goods actually endanger the existence of some local companies? And will Russians notice the WTO’s impact on the economy? OtM is joined by Yaroslav Lisovolik,...

Open for business

­What makes international investors choose Russia? What are the advantages compared to other markets? Why are some developing quickly in Russia, while others remain skeptical? Is now the time to invest in Russia?

Russia for sale

­How attractive is Russia’s privatization program in the eyes of foreign investors? Is there any urgency in it, or should it be delayed due to global volatility? Is it only about raising money, or does it have other objectives? OtM will also have a close look at the latest business news.

Infrastructure

­Twenty years after the collapse of the USSR, much of Russia’s infrastructure remains Soviet and needs a serious upgrade. While Russia is in desperate need of brand new infrastructure and willing to pump billions of dollars into the project, what are foreign investors thinking? How does the ageing infrastructure affect Russia’s economic development?

Volatility

­With the eurozone and the US struggling to stem debt meltdown, how secure is Russia? Lessons have been learned from the 2008 crisis and reserves are in good shape, but Russia still needs to diversify its economy to withstand global instability.

Branding Russia

­OtM's special edition broadcast from the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum: Many say Russia needs re-branding, but has it actually been properly branded in the first place? How effective is the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in selling Russia and promoting a better investment climate? And are there any decent Russian brands that help trademark the country? To discuss the...

Russia energized

With rising oil prices this year, does Russia feel determined to further diversify its economy? Is it fair to say that Russia suffers from the “Dutch Disease”? How will energy prices affect foreign investment? And how high should crude prices climb before they become a brake for the Russian economy? On the set: Vladimir Tikhomirov, chief economist and executive director at Otkritie Financial...

Russia on offer

­On this edition of On the Money with Peter Lavelle, his guests discuss the many issues Russian companies face when going public, in Russia and on foreign exchanges. Guests: Daniel Salter, chief EMEA equity strategist at UniCredit Securities Dennis Ludkovsky, CEO at the Svyaznoy Group of companies Ben Aris, editor-in-chief at Business New Europe Nataliya Orlova, Chief Economist, Alfa Bank