- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Noga lawyer confirms seizure of Russia's 5% stake in EADS

Subscribe
A lawyer for the Swiss firm Noga said on Thursday that a 5% stake held by a Russian state-run corporation in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company was among Russian assets frozen in France.
PARIS, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - A lawyer for the Swiss firm Noga said on Thursday that a 5% stake held by a Russian state-run corporation in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company was among Russian assets frozen in France.

Antoine Korkmaz confirmed earlier reports that bailiffs acting at Noga's request had seized some 15 Russian assets in French banks and companies such as Calyon, Natexis and others since January 2.

He said that the arrest of the 5% stake in EADS was based on the knowledge that it belonged to the state-controlled Vneshekonombank.

Since 1993, the Swiss firm has repeatedly applied for the seizure of Russian property abroad, including Russian Central Bank accounts in France and a sailing ship and warplanes brought into the country for shows, to secure the repayment of debts under barter oil deals struck with Russia's government in the early 1990s.

The Swiss trading firm estimated that the Russian government owed it some 49 million euros ($73 million).

Russian government property in France was seized pursuant to a ruling passed by the Stockholm Arbitration Court in favor of Noga in 1997.

However, lawyers representing the Russian side say that Noga has misled the French judicial authorities, as it no longer has the right of claim under the arbitration ruling.

The lawyers say Noga has ceded its claims to four Swiss banks and that following a series of subsequent re-assignments these claims have been acquired by the Russian side. The powers earlier granted by the four Swiss banks to Noga to demand compensation from Russia have been annulled.

Therefore, according to Russia's Finance Ministry, Noga no longer has any financial or other right to claim compensation under the arbitration ruling pursuant to which Russian assets were frozen in France.

Russian foreign trade bank VTB bought the stake in EADS over a year ago for around $1 billion. The bank sold the stake to the Development Bank (Vneshekonombank) in late 2007.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала