MOSCOW, August 22 RIA Novosti commentator Peter Lavelle). The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has received documents from the Federal Security Service concerning the privatization of telecommunications holding Svyazinvest. For the privatization to go forward, two presidential decrees will have to be reviewed by the government.
The two decrees are on:
� The exclusion of Svyazinvest from the list of "strategically important" enterprises;
� The terms and conditions of the privatization.
However, before both can be signed and implemented, the following must be completed:
� Transfer of Svyazinvest shares to the State Property Fund;
� Due diligence and valuation of Svyazinvest;
� Announcement of tender and collection of bids;
� Auction.
All of these steps could take well over 6 months to complete, thus ensuring that the auction will not take place before 2006.
